


Strangers Till Now

by AngelGlass



Series: Strangers Till Now Universe [1]
Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship/Love, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 137,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27014737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelGlass/pseuds/AngelGlass
Summary: Just an exploration of Jareth and Sarah's relationship from the movie onwards, each chapter is a year in Sarah's life. They fall in love of course, but how do they get there? A friendship to lovers story that has a lot of fluff and is a feel-good kind of story. Originally published on fanfiction.net on June 2018 and completed December 2018.
Relationships: Jareth/Sarah Williams
Series: Strangers Till Now Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973026
Comments: 14
Kudos: 31





	1. Fifteen

"Sarah, honey is something wrong?" Robert Williams looked at his older child, seeing that she was unusually quiet even though last night she was angry for them leaving her with her brother. And yet, when they came home, she was as sweet as could be.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm alright." Sarah smiled. The truth was, though she was alright, she was thinking quite hard about something. Or rather, someone.

Karen, her stepmother, finally sat down to join them for breakfast. She was fussing over her young son, giving a look at Sarah, looking slightly afraid but a little annoyed at her at the same time. Her stepdaughter's sudden shift in moods really threw her out of the loop.

Sarah picked at her breakfast, and eventually ate all of it, not realizing how hungry she was as she had skipped dinner and ran the Labyrinth. She got up and spoke. "I know you guys have another meeting or something to go to, and I can watch Toby if you still need me but is it okay that after I'm done with my homework, I just have some time to myself? If I could just skip out on babysitting tonight?"

Karen looked at Sarah once again. It wasn't an unreasonable request, and she spoke with eloquence and understanding rather than yelling that things weren't fair. She really couldn't deny the girl even though it was annoying to have to find someone else to care for Toby.

Still, something felt off. "Yes of course. Thank you for telling us in advance. But, I worry about you spending so much time alone. You should be with friends or getting a date or something."

Sarah looked at her father, but as usual, he was reading his newspaper, not helping her a bit. Sarah sighed and turned back to her stepmother. "Yeah, I understand that. I don't really want to go on dates right now though."

She felt worn, older than her years and yet young at the same time. She quickly excused herself and went upstairs, trying her hardest to do homework. And think about her plan, for she had a plan.

The young girl should have felt happy. She had new friends, beaten the man (was he even a man?) who took her brother, became a heroine and was back to her normal life but with a little more magic. So why did she feel so sad? Why did she feel like even in when winning, she had lost something?

She plopped open her history notes from class, and took out a handout that her teacher had given to the class, and was startled to find the answer to her very question.

" _No war, no battle comes without a cost. The winner never truly wins all the way. There is blood, there are casualties, there are people who have scars outward and inward, families broken because of them, and a loss of the very thing that makes us all human. Remember that when you study about wars and battles. Even when you win, you lose._ "

Sarah realized that this was true for any battle, even arguments. You get angry, you lose those few minutes of being happy.

Which brought her to last night.

She may have won, and she had no doubt that it was worth it. She had Toby back, but she didn't truly win all the way, did she? But why did she feel that way? What did she lose?

Her mind wandered and an image popped up in her head. It was of a man, a man with upswept eyebrows and featherlike hair. A man who had offered her dreams. But what did all of that mean?

Sarah realized that's what she had lost, knowledge. She just accepted that everything was real but now she had questions. Why? What was real? What did it all mean? Her friends didn't really know, they weren't unintelligent but it wasn't in their nature to really question the workings of things, not unless she questioned them first.

The day passed by, and she was alone in the house. She wasn't sure what to wear, but settled for something nice yet casual. Putting on some jeans and a nice blouse, she sat in the living room. She felt no fear, but just in case, there were exits.

"Goblin King, I wish you would be here."

It took a little bit, but a swirl of glitter surrounded the room and there he was. The King of Goblins was in full black regalia, looking just as terrifying as before. Unlike last time though, he wasn't smirking or teasing her. He just looked at her with hard eyes, unsmiling.

Sarah tried to not let it get to her. The aura around him was unknown to her and frankly, a bit frightening. Yet, she didn't feel as if she was in danger. It was the kind of fear one had when one wanted had to present in front of others or do an interview. Every action, every word mattered.

Finally, he spoke. "Sarah, why did you ask me to be here?"

Last night, she wouldn't have noticed that in his hard voice, there was a bit of uncertainty, a bit of curiosity and vulnerability. Last night, she wouldn't have caught the flicker of hope and pleading in his eyes.

But this wasn't last night. This was NOW. Now she was wiser, and stronger, and could see because her mind had opened.

She had decided all day what to do, and she tried to not shake as she stood up from the seat, the king raising his eyebrow as her. But, she did not stand to him as he had expected. Instead, she flipped on the light switch, something she could not have done last night when she wished Toby away.

Next to her were a couple of tea cups. She motioned for him to sit in a chair across from her. Her hands were shaking, but Sarah didn't let that stop her. "I wanted to talk." She said in a small, yet firm voice. "I made some tea, if that's alright with you."

He raised his eyebrow once again and put on hand to his hip and the other tapped a finger to his lips. "What makes you think that I would agree to talk to you, especially when I have no idea what you want to talk about?"

So there it was. He didn't know why she called for him. He could be lying though, but Sarah got the impression that though he made a few deceptions during the Labyrinth, he never wanted nor needed to lie to her.

She stepped forward and looked into his eyes, feeling older and stronger than the fifteen year old she was. "I don't."

He tilted his head to one side, thoroughly intrigued now. "No?" He asked softly.

Sarah shook her head. "No."

She sat down and motioned for him to follow suit, but he did not. She pretended to not notice this. "I have no idea if you want to talk or even would. But, I want to. I don't know why you would want to talk, but I thought that at least, I could be polite and offer you some tea, even if you refuse to talk."

He hummed, the vibrations otherworldly and unfamiliar to Sarah. He strode over, and sat down, stirring his tea but not drinking it, never taking his eyes off her.

Sarah broke eye contact, taking her tea and sipping it, the man still not doing it.

Once again, he broke the silence. "You hold no dishonesty in your eyes, that I am curious about, for most people would guard themselves from me, especially runners who have called me 'unfair' or demand to know how and why I am generous."

Sarah felt annoyance creeping up in her, but she squashed it down, her curiosity winning over his words. She did not take his bait.

"What do you want to talk about? What is there to talk about? Am I not the fearless king who you defeated? The king that took your brother and whom you have won back?"

Sarah sat her teacup back on the saucer. "Yes, you are all those things. But I want to understand. I want to know what everything meant. I want to know why."

The King looked at her once more, his expression unchanged. Then, he lifted the cup to his soft lips and sipped, his eyes still on her, boring into her soul.

He swallowed, and leaned back a little. "And, do you think I would tell you? Why would I want to tell you? Or, how would you know if there are even answers? Sometimes, things just are, Sarah."

She shrugged. "I already said, I don't know, but I want to try. If I didn't question things, I wouldn't have gotten Sir Didymus to let me through or left the junk yard. If I ask now, and you don't tell me, then I'm just left with as I was before, no answers which is the worst case scenario. But if I never ask, then I will forever wonder."

"Hmm" The King leaned forward again, resting his fingers on the table and tapping its surface. "How would you know that would be the worst case scenario? That I would not do worse to you?"

"You wouldn't. If you wanted to, you would by now."

"Would I? Maybe I have some elaborate plan to hurt you."

The truth was, Sarah was afraid of it. But, her response was honest and clear. "Maybe that's a risk I am willing to take, Goblin King."

For the first time that night, he smiled and chuckled. "My my, you are a clever one, aren't you?"

He really was impressed with her. No one dared to contact him like this after he left. They were all scared, and furthermore, no one had defeated his Labyrinth but Sarah herself. There was no question that this girl was his equal, and that was why she defeated him at his own game. In truth, he was fascinated with her, for few mortals had read his story anymore, and even fewer who believed in its truthfulness.

Sarah smiled back at him. "I prefer the term resourceful over clever, Your Majesty."

Jareth was grinning now, tracing his gloved finger on the rim of the teacup. The atmosphere was less tense now that they were both smiling.

He casually leaned forward again. "I think you have earned the right, to call me Jareth."

Sarah smiled, this time very warmly at him. Something about his sincere smile was contagious. "Okay, Jareth."

"So, what would you like to know? I cannot promise to tell you everything, as I am a king before anything else."

Sarah reached behind her and held out a little book, titled "The Labyrinth."

Jareth eyed it with great interest, but revealed nothing.

Sarah was hoping that he would answer, but he did not, so she spoke. "What is this?"

Jareth held his hand out, and Sarah placed it in his hands. The king flipped through the pages and his eye brows scrunched. "Interesting."

The teenager perked up. "What is?"

Jareth kept a nonchalant face and placed the book back down. "I had seen you with this book, as there are a few copies around the world. They are created by the Labyrinth itself to present to people, mostly to share the tales of wishing children away. The purpose of that was not for young girls like you, but rather, to save the children."

Sarah should have felt anger at the idea of a child being taken away, but instead she was curious. "But why?"

"Sarah, there are children who are abused, who are terminally ill. Some in poverty, many homeless. Some were born with disabilities and the family cannot or would not afford to care for them. Some had mothers who smoked, drank, or did drugs while pregnant resulting in terrible consequences as I am sure you know. Many are adopted, some anti goblins but only if the damage was severe enough. Toby would have become my heir because I have no wife, no queen and I had expected you to lose as everyone else did. Not everyone gets a book, but some do and they share the tale."

Sarah still wasn't sure what this all meant. "Alright, that makes sense, but if I wasn't supposed to be wishing Toby away because he has a good home, then why did I have the book?"

Instead of responding, Jareth took off his gloves, revealing long, slender fingers. Sarah couldn't help but picture him playing piano or something with those hands, and she had the urge to almost ask him to.

Jareth held out his hand, palm faced up. "I think, I am not sure, that you Sarah were meant to be a Storyteller. That you would go around just telling stories which was why you were given the book. I can only tell though by touching your bare skin."

Sarah blinked. "What? How could this be my duty or something like that?"

Jareth shook his head. "You misunderstood. I have only been watching you not long before you wished Toby away, that very day actually because my goblins could feel your strong belief. Most Storytellers do not believe in their stories all the way or if they do then they would say it as a warning. There has never been a Storyteller who has wished away a child before, which is why I am sure the book has influenced you. Let me see."

He nodded at her, and Sarah tried to not show her nervousness in this very grown up man touching her hand. He seemed to be in deep concentration as his eyes were closed. Sarah tried to not fidget at him, for he was tracing all around her wrists, up her palms, her knuckles, back down and on each finger. It took her a bit to realize that his lips were moving in some kind of spell.

His touch was electric and her teen body wanted more, and she felt herself sweat not just from nervousness but from his touch. She was sure her skin was flushed and red. Then, she gasped as a a cool sensation spread from where Jareth was touching her to the rest of her body, making her shiver.

He snapped his eyes opened and looked at her strangely. "Yes, you are indeed a Storyteller. Or one of them. There are many around the world. You don't have to share of course, but it was what you were supposed to be. This original story is so ridiculously old that no one knows who this was even about."

Sarah was still in shock of the feeling that ran through her. "Okay, okay, so I wasn't supposed to wish Toby away."

She looked nervous about her next question. Looking down, she twiddled her thumbs, not wanting to meet Jareth's eyes.

"Speak, please." He said quietly. Normally, he would be alright with silence, but this girl unnerved him for some reason.

Still not looking up, Sarah whispered out her question. "So, everything you did, what did that mean?"

She didn't know why she had these feelings for him. She didn't know him, not at all, but why did she feel so strongly? It wasn't love, that was for sure, but it was something. She couldn't bring herself to ask the whole question. Part of her wanted him to tell her that he felt the same but she was scared that he would too because she was so young.

Jareth was at a loss, something that wasn't normal for him. Part of him wanted to tell her again, but he was afraid of the rejection. Part of him wanted to erase her memory and be done with her. But he just couldn't.

She was so young, painfully young. She had her whole life ahead of her. So, he answered honestly but with omission.

"What I did was true." He told her gently. "I did as you asked, but I also needed you to not win. The Labyrinth was not meant to be bested."

Sarah looked at him slowly. So, this was all because he had to keep her there, to distract her.

"Did you ever make the same offer to everyone else?" She asked him slowly.

He breathed, and answered honestly again but with omission once more. "Yes and no. I offer everyone their dreams but I change words with everyone, to appeal to their desires."

_But what no one knew, was that what you wanted was similar to mine. My desire to keep you with me also mirrored yours. I wanted to keep you close to me but not too close, at least until you were older. But you don't want me, you couldn't have because you didn't know me. You wanted the idea of me and dreams, dreams that you turned down for something real, a child that you loved. I cannot fault you for that._

Sarah thought back to his last words. Fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave. So those words were meant to distract her. And distract her they almost did.

"Is that all?" He asked quietly to the girl who turned his world.

Sarah nodded, but then shook her head. "No, I want to know about you."

"There isn't anything that much more to know about me besides what I already told you, about being king." He stood up. "I think it is time for me to go if that is it."

Sarah stood up quickly. "That's not what I meant. I don't mean about the goblin king, I mean about you, Jareth."

Jareth furrowed his brow. No one wanted to know him. Not even his own people cared about him as a person. The goblins were just goblins but his more intelligent subjects did not want to be friends with him. Women came and went but no one wanted the responsibility that he inherited.

"I assure you, without my title and my position, I am not that interesting." He never was, except for the women who found him handsome. Even then, they would have fun then leave. That kind of pleasure was out of the question with Sarah. Not just because she was young but because of his own heart.

"Are you busy?" Sarah asked him. She didn't want to keep him there if he was busy, but she had a feeling that he wasn't.

Jareth turned back around to face her. This girl really kept him on his toes. During her run he had lost track of her and worked on other things and didn't realize how far she made it through until too late. And now, she was still puzzling him. For someone who was around for so long, Jareth should not have been so unsure of himself around a teenage girl.

Before he could even say anything, she asked him something surprising. "Are you lonely?"

Now he was getting annoyed.

"I don't need pity, especially from a teenage girl." His eyes narrowed and he folded his arms.

Sarah had no idea what possessed her to even ask him. She was normally shy about assuming anything about anyone's emotions in case she was wrong, not wanting to be embarrassed. But for some reason, she just HAD to point that out for him. She wasn't even hurt when he snapped at her, recognizing that he was hurt. A day ago, Sarah Williams would have yelled back at him or shrink back in shame. But now, she realized that he wasn't just a scary King. He had feelings, emotions, no matter how much he wanted to pretend he didn't.

Jareth was hoping that she would just tell him to leave. He was too confused between wanting to stay with her and leave. He was alone for so long, very few wanted a real connection with him but she was so young. How could she want to be his friend when she already had his subjects?

Sarah ignored his outburst. "Jareth, do you know how to play chess?"

The king blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Chess." She said a little louder. "My mother bought it for me for my birthday, this nice new chess set. I haven't played the game in years and I'm awful. I'm sure even Toby would beat me."

At that last sentence, Jareth softened. If there was one thing that made him less stoic, it was children. He could say no, and she would let him go, he was certain.

Something rose in himself. Something about her made him let go of a part of his pride, those green eyes that sparkled with hope and promise. And at fifteen, so young.

"I suppose," He started. "I suppose I could stay and play some chess. I had no other plans but to go back and read some books. This is turning out to be quite an odd night."

What an odd night indeed. Not a day ago, Sarah had beaten him at his own game, and now, she was playing chess with him. Jareth showed her a few moves and reminded her of the rules. It was a nice set indeed, made of glass pieces carefully crafted. From her run, he knew Sarah was brilliant. But damn, she was awful at chess. And yet, he was having the time of his life.

They kept on playing, and both relaxed. They no longer felt the need to be all stiff and proper. Jareth adjusted his body and clothing to be something more comfortable and laid across the chair so one leg was propped over the arm chair. Sarah tied her hair up in a messy bun. There was something intimate about being with someone who relaxed in their own home.

"You're terrible." He told her, and Sarah stuck her tongue out, earning a laugh from Jareth.

Sarah said nothing, just smiled when she moved her bishop a few places. "Checkmate." Then, she leaned back and smiled, popping a jelly bean in her mouth.

Jareth looked at the board, not really believing it. And there it was, she had won.

"It can't be!" He exclaimed frantically, trying to see a way out, but his king was taken.

"Sore loser?" Sarah laughed at his pouting. There was just something so adorable, so real about seeing him be like this. And she felt special, happy in fact to see him this way.

She had only spent a few hours with him, and yet, she felt her bond with him was closer than with her human friends.

It was hard for Jareth to be annoyed when she was obviously so happy about it. "Sometimes I am, I'm not used to losing." He smirked at her.

They talked for much longer, about themselves and their past. Their families and relationships. Sarah a little about her human life and high school, Jareth about his own childhood and being king until it was almost time for her parents and Toby to be back home.

Jareth decided to take a chance. "Sarah, how would you like to join me for weekly tea? Or something like that, whatever would fit our schedules. You are also welcome to come Underground at any time, I will prepare something for you, a portal similar to what your friends have. There are rules needed though. I rather liked being friends with you. It, it has been a while since I've had any real friends."

Sarah was surprised to hear him be so candid with her. What was it about them so much more honest together? Just one night, a few hours, and already this was between them. She smiled back. "I would love to, Jareth."

Being a gentleman, Jareth took her hand and kissed the back of it. "To our new friendship, my lady. Until next time."

"Yes, our friendship." Sarah told herself to breathe.

That night, when she went to sleep, there were only good dreams to greet her.


	2. Sixteen

Sarah Williams was a social person, she loved to speak with people and be friends. Sure she was awkward and loved alone time to contemplate and be in her own world, but she liked to have friends. The problem with that though, was that she hated certain social functions.

Like a Sweet Sixteen birthday party.

She didn't really see the point of doing anything big or special for her sixteenth birthday. She had already been learning to drive but it wasn't like she had a car to actually use. And not just that, but she would rather have a nice night out with her friends and her boyfriend, Eric. But nooooo! Karen just HAD to do something out there.

Ever since Karen married her father, she would complain about needing to save money unless it was something she really wanted to do that was outrageous. Sarah wasn't sure if it was because of guilt or something else that made Karen rent out a limo and have a yacht party for Sarah. Granted, the yacht was owned by her sister so that was free but Sarah's whole class was invited and Sarah felt really awkward about being seen as a possible rich kid. Sure she was well off but definitely not wealthy.

"I just don't know what to do!" She plopped down on her bed, complaining to Hoggle. "I know Karen is being nice but this isn't what I want! I hate large parties like this and I would feel so award the entire freaking time because it's my birthday. Why can't Karen just listen?"

Hoggle sighed. "I know Sarah. It's just time to pick yer battles, but I suppose that you gave up on this battle, didn't ya?"

Sarah shrugged. "She invited people already, so I can't back out now. I know Karen is trying hard and I can't get mad at her. She's doing so much and trying to make our relationship stronger."

Next to Hoggle, Sir Didymus hummed. "My Lady, maybe after the party, it would be wise to talk to your stepmother about just discussing it with you next time. Thank her for the good time and such, but remind her that now you are older, you can make your own decisions of how to celebrate this coming of age." The little fox reached over to grab a brownie from a plate, and sighed in happiness. "These are quite delicious! Where are these from and might I have a recipe?"

Sarah smiled. "Thank you, you should ask Jareth, he and I made them earlier today."

Her mind wandered to their Underground kitchen where he purposefully got flour on her clothes so she got chocolate in his hair, both laughing their heads off. It had been nearly a year since she had ran the labyrinth, and everyone told her how things changed because of her. Jareth was less moody and actually made friends. Not just with her but with some of his own subjects. They had weekly tea when they could, though Sarah spent much more time with her three friends as they didn't have a kingdom to run. She would write to Jareth often though, it was therapeutic for when they couldn't talk.

Hoggle huffed a bit. "I still don't like him THAT much. He still scares me."

Sarah regarded her friend sadly and held his hand. "I know. He still needs to learn and grow, and you don't have to like him, Hoggle, but thank you for accepting that he is my friend too."

Hoggle patted her hand and smiled at her. "Don't worry, Sarah. I know he's good to you. He's fae, so being so old and living for so long, lessons take longer to learn than for humans. Jareth is a good king, just annoying and mean at times."

Sarah laughed at that. "I'll say. You guys can have the rest of the brownies, I still have to find out what to wear for my party. I'll show it to you guys later, how's that?"

They all nodded, saying things about how excited they were to see her in her dress and made leave.

* * *

Jareth was in the market, a sight that was more common these days. At first, it unnerved everyone to see the king walk around and about for leisure. Normally he would only leave the castle to get a task done, but now, he was just walking around more in his free time, meeting his subjects and getting to know them on a more personal level than just wondering what was wrong with them. Of course he did know them on some level but now he was actually making an effort.

To see him in the market now was a comfort to his people. Goblins and dwarves, other animals and magical creatures came to the market for food or other things.

Jareth was at a loss. He honestly had not made any real friends that weren't set up by his parents and even those friends were at different kingdoms and such with their own lives. Furthermore, this was something he was looking for a female friend, Sarah.

From what she had told him of Karen's meddling, her 16th birthday was a sort of coming of age but wasn't too important. Still, Jareth wanted to do something nice for her. But what do you get someone?

He thought it was easy, some jewelry but then he remembered that unless he was gay (and he was not, as is clear from his attraction to women) or a family member then giving her some jewelry may be seen as something more than just friends, especially since she had a significant other already. It seemed too forward to him, more than flowers or something like that. He could of course just explain to her that in the Underground, such trinkets weren't necessarily seen as romance but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

 _But you do want romance with her_ , a voice in him said. Jareth squashed that voice down and told it to shut up. He was her friend, but no more than that.

"Would you like some help picking something, Your Majesty?" A vendor curtsied to him politely. "Is there something in particular I can help you with?"

Jareth tapped a finger on his lips. If he said that it was for a female friend then he was afraid rumor would spread like wildfire, even to other kingdoms. So instead, he shook his head. "No thank you, Agatha. I do appreciate the offer though. If I think of something maybe I'll head back here."

She dropped into another curtsey. "Happy to help, Sire."

"What to do?" He sighed to himself. Then, he realized that he should get something sentimental to Sarah, something that was between the both of them that had meaning.

He chuckled to himself. They had their inside jokes indeed, and Sarah had a great sense of humor. She would laugh at a self deprecating joke or something sentimental. He would give her both.

Smiling, he went to pick out a present for his "lady friend," as his goblins called her.

* * *

Of course it was a masquerade.

Karen's sister had the condition that it would be a masquerade, as she herself wanted to have a ball. Sarah groaned. She hated not being able to see people's faces. It drove her insane! She almost just said to forget about it but one look from Karen told her that she had to with so many people coming and the catering was set and everything else.

Sarah sighed. She looked at the dress she was wearing, a shimmery silver gown with a slit that went up to her thigh and held up by thin straps. She had on silver heels too but had flats with her just in case. Her hair was done in curls, lips painted red and nails done in a white glitter coat, thanks to Jareth for the suggestion.

She picked up the silver mask dotted with gems and put it on. She did feel beautiful, and knew she was the belle of the ball. She felt sad though. As close as she was to her friends, they were all closer to someone else. At least she had her boyfriend.

She thought of Eric, but for some reason, she didn't see the dark black hair and grey eyes. Instead, she saw a man with white blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes. She shook her head, blushing. No, she wouldn't think of that.

Truth be told though, Eric was handsome and was interested in her, yes, but they were so different in ways that she didn't like at all. He was lazy and didn't work hard in school, which would be fine but he made fun of her a lot. He didn't understand or even tried to understand her love of books and fantasy or music. Once he made fun of David Bowie and Sarah told him to leave the house, angry that someone would just insult one of the favorite musicians just to be mean.

Overall though, he wasn't a bad person. Sarah cared about him and he about her, but she didn't know how to break up. Plus she wasn't going to date anyone right after him anyways. If she did then Karen would just annoy her to get a new boyfriend.

Shaking her head, she hoped that at least, she could have some fun tonight with a group of friends. There would be adults of course, but those were Karen's sisters who would give her privacy with friends. Sarah knew that the chaperones wouldn't care, and that made her nervous. At least, she could call her parents if something happened. Or Jareth. But she didn't like to call on him for something like this. She needed to be on her own and he had a kingdom to rule anyways.

At the thought of the king, she heard a small knock in her mirror, and she saw Jareth inside. It was a way to make sure she had privacy when changing or otherwise. She beckoned him in and smiled as she saw him climbing out of his mirror.

He looked absolutely stunning, as he always did. He had on a black long sleeved shirt, exposing his chest (as always) and some grey slacks. "Might I come in to say hello to the birthday girl?"

Sarah nodded and he was in her room in an instant. The king looked at her, and while she felt nervous, she didn't feel uncomfortable with his gaze. It was flattering.

"You look beautiful." He breathed out. "I do love the shine of the dress and the mask as well. Whoever picked it has good taste."

Sarah blushed. How come Eric never said anything like that to her? Well, he did, but he never seemed to be in awe or cared as much as Jareth did. Eric said it out of obligation. Jareth said it out of sincerity.

"Thank you." She blushed. "My friend Marilyn chose it for me." Her best friend, well, best human female friend anyways. She made more friends underground since then.

"Well, Eric is a lucky man indeed." Jareth said quietly.

Was it Sarah's imagination, or was there a speck of sadness in his eyes when he said that? But as quickly as she noticed, it was gone.

"I have a gift." He held out a crystal to her face and Sarah grinned widely.

"Will it show me my dreams, Goblin King?"

Jareth just grinned. "No, maybe another time. For now, just take it, and see the birthday present that I got you."

Sarah took the crystal and it instantly turned into a box. Curious, she opened it and laughed.

" _How to be a Master at Chess_. Of course you'd get me a book like this!" She pretended to hit him, and Jareth gave her his toothy grin. "I beat you once!"

"Well, Precious, while that is true, you have beaten me once in, oh I don't know, the million of other times we have played? I am getting bored of having such a terrible opponent."

Sarah shook her head, still laughing. "Oh, you. Thank you though."

Jareth held out another crystal, but this time, he didn't give it to her. He transformed it into a flower. Not just any flower though, a flower from the Underground.

"Oh!" Sarah breathed. "Jareth, that's so sweet of you. My favorite flower!"

It was a rare breed, and one Sarah had seen once while on a trip with Jareth to a different kingdom. It was a lavender color with specks of white glitter on the edges, its shape like a rose and a tulip at the same time. It also smelled heavenly. It only grew in certain spaces as well.

Jareth flicked his hand and had a quartz vase, setting it on her nightstand and putting the flower in it. "So long as you keep it here, then it'll live."

He turned and saw tears in her eyes behind her mask, startling him. He didn't mean to make her cry. "Sarah? I'm sorry did I do something?"

"Oh no, you're more than fine." She sniffed. "I, I am just so grateful to have you in my life. That's so thoughtful of you."

To have given her a quartz vase which she was sure was a private gift from someone to him as he was a king (as those vases were also rare) and the flower, he had shown her so much thought. He really did know her and made an actual effort to do something so simple yet so difficult at the same time.

Her eyes also burned with the fact that Eric had given her some lingerie. Now, it would be something sexy and cute, if they had discussed it. She wasn't ready for sex, and it made her angry that he would try to buy her something and pressure her into it.

Jareth walked over and reached at her mask, slowly taking it off. He lifted up a hand and Sarah realized he had a handkerchief, wiping her tears off. "I'm glad these are happy tears and not sad tears. I have made you cry once before when I took Toby and I never want to see that again." He said softly, as if scared that she would run away.

What did this mean? Sarah's heart was pounding. She wanted to grab him, to hold him close to her, but she didn't. Was she imagining it, or were they moving closer? Were their noses this close before?

They jumped at the sound of the door knocking. Sarah pulled back a bit.

"Who is it?" She called out.

"Honey, it's time to go to your party!" Her father called through the door.

She sighed and put the mask back on. "I'll be down in five minutes!"

When she heard the steps retreat, Sarah decided to be a little bold. She tiptoed and placed a kiss on Jareth's cheek.

The king breathed in, feeling the electricity that coursed through his body from where she had touched him.

"Thank you, Jareth." She said to him. "I'll see you later tomorrow for tea?"

He gave her a curt nod. "Yes, Sarah. I hope you'll enjoy yourself." He kissed her hand and left.

The teen sighed and made her way out, trying to not think too hard about the one person she really wished was there with her.

* * *

Sarah was having fun actually, and truth be told, it was nice to have people come and be the center of attention for once and in a good way. The cake was good, they danced and sang, they played fun games, it was all very nice. Though, as she expected, they would spend time with her out of obligation before going back to their own friends.

At least it was until she tried to take her heels off.

Eric came over, with his dashing dark hair and grey eyes, but she wasn't charmed. Especially when he opened his mouth.

"Sarah, why are you taking those off? You look so hot with them on." He purred and ran a finger across her shoulders.

She breathed out an irritated sigh. "Eric, I told you I don't want to have sex. And my feet are killing me! Please why can't you accept that?"

She turned to leave but he caught her by the shoulder and spun her around. He looked upset, though not dangerous. "Sarah, I've spent so much money on you to get those shoes! And everything else! I've done everything for you, and you owe me!"

She couldn't believe her ears. "What the hell? I don't owe you anything! And if you really wanted a girlfriend, you would LISTEN and spend time with her. No need for anything fancy. I am not something to be bought."

At this, she turned on her heel and left to her room on the yacht. Pissed off, she set her heels down and slipped on her flats, rubbing her feet where they had been cut and blistered. "Asshole." She grumbled.

The birthday girl went to grab another slice of cake. It was her birthday after all, so why not? She stayed a bit, playing some more party games and took some pictures with some people.

After a while, she figured she would go and see Marilyn, wherever the hell she was. She went back to the rooms, and her heart stopped at a certain sound.

_"Eric! Harder! UGH!"_

_"Marilyn I need more!"_

It was then that Sarah abused a little bit of magic. Jareth had also been giving her some lessons, and she used her crystal to see what was inside. Jareth had never used it to spy on her except for when she was in the labyrinth (for her own safety) and she of course didn't use it either except to practice, but she was so angry she had to look.

And there they were, her boyfriend and her so-called best friend under the sheets, naked and all over each other.

She didn't even confront them. She just ran to her own room, tearing off all the bobby pins and slamming the door shut, screaming as her foot got caught in it but she didn't care. Sarah saw the stupid lingerie on her bed from Eric, and in a fit of rage, grabbed at them and tore them apart with her bare hands, yelling with a piece of plastic stuck to elastic snapped across her face, leaving a large welt on her cheek.

She sobbed. Just sobbed. She was nothing, nothing. Just some pretty girl with a pretty face who can't even get her own boyfriend to love her. If she was honest, there was someone she wanted to love but she didn't think he'd love her back. So, she closed off her heart to that fae king, only loving him as a friend, pausing any romantic love from fully blossoming.

At the thought of Jareth, she accidentally breathed out his name. "Jareth..."

Far away, the King of Goblins fell asleep while reading a book. He didn't always hear wishes or his name, but when called out in such pain and in need he had to see. He checked his crystal and in surprise, saw Sarah crumpled up on the floor, her body shaking from tears. His heart twisted at the sight from pain and shock, she should have been having a good night, not on the floor like this.

Still in the same outfit as before, he appeared next to her, crouching down. "Sarah? Precious?"

The teen took a sharp breath, refusing to look up. She blinked away her tears, or tried to anyways. Great, now she brought Jareth into this mess.

"Sarah, what happened?" His voice was soft and sweet, his hand on her back, going up and down to soothe her. "Here, let me."

She sniffed as he pushed on her shoulder to make her lean back. Sarah never looked at him as he oriented his body to slip his arm under her knee and the other around her back to lift her on the bed, holding her close to his body. She could feel the heat radiating from his chest and she automatically rested herself there, closing her eyes and relishing being so close to him, knowing she may never get another chance to.

Jareth kicked off his boots and took off her flats, holding her to him, brushing his finger where the plastic from the lingerie hit her face. "What happened? Sarah you don't have to talk now but I know that something is tormenting you. I can feel it."

Sarah finally looked up and into his face. Oh, how could she resist those sweet blue eyes looking kindly at her? She felt the welt in her cheek fade away. He wrapped his cape around her, keeping her warm and feeling more safe.

She sniffed again. "It's Eric. He, he-"

And she cried again.

Jareth pulled her close again, rocking her gently. He still wasn't sure what happened, then he saw the lingerie on the ground. His eyes widened, at first assuming that she had slept with him, but then he realized that the tag was still on it. And the fact that Sarah's dress was still on her, her hair was a mess. Did she have time to clean up or was there another explanation?

It wasn't for him to judge, but he felt angry. If she had indeed slept with Eric, then why was she crying? This was not how it should have gone for her. She should be held. Did he hurt her? Did she have some regret? Why was her face red from a welt? He told himself to calm down, that he had no right to feel jealous of the boy. He had no claim over Sarah.

Sarah saw his eyes traveled to the lingerie and blushed, dispelling that notion as soon as she realized what he was looking at. "Oh, um, no… Eric bought that for me and we argued… I didn't want to… and then I found him cheating on me with Marilyn."

Ah, that made sense. Jareth felt a little relieved but then saddened again. He knew what it was like to be cheated on and the pain that came from that. Not just the pain, but the fact that it made one question their own self worth. It's a vicious, vicious thing to happen and for Sarah to have her supposed best friend sleep with Eric made it worse.

Instead of following one set of instincts to find the two people who hurt her throw them in the bog, Jareth breathed and pulled Sarah close again, pressing his lips to her hair. "Sweet, sweet Sarah. I'm so sorry."

Fat, ugly tears rolled down her face and Jareth conjured some tissues so she wouldn't be embarrassed by the amount of snot that was coming out. He wanted to shield her, to protect her. But all he could do, was be there for her when the world fell.

Sarah felt safe, secure. She breathed in his scent, that sweet peachy yet with a hint of cinnamon almost. She played with the fabric on his shirt, careful to not touch his bare chest no matter how much she wanted to. After a minute, she realized that he was humming. And, it was a tune she recognized as well.

"Jareth?" She mumbled, still playing with the strings on his shirt. "What song is that? I've heard it before."

Jareth stiffened a bit. Should he tell her now? He decided to only tell part of the truth. No, now was not a good time to tell her anything too much about his heart. She needed time.

He smiled into her hair and placed another kiss on the top. "It's called As the World Falls Down. I wrote it a long time ago, when I was younger. I had meant it to be a song of hope for myself, to find someone who would be there for me when my world falls. It's also something I hope to do to others, romantic or not."

Sarah mulled the thought over. She didn't want to ask him why she had heard it during her peach dream. If he said everyone else heard that song, it would make her feel less special. If he said it was only for her, then she wasn't sure if she could really handle it right now. So, as always, she settled with something safe. "It is a lovely tune, can you sing it for me?"

Jareth was surprised at the request, but he smiled and smoothed her hair with one hand and the other still on her back, and sang the words to her.

_There's such a sad love_

_Deep in your eyes A kind of pale jewel_

_Open and closed Within your eyes_

_I'll place the sky_

_Within your eyes_

_There's such a fooled heart_

_Beatin' so fast_

_In search of new dreams_

_A love that will last_

_Within your heart_

_I'll place the moon_

_Within your heart_

_As the pain sweeps through,_

_Makes no sense for you_

_Every thrill is gone_

_Wasn't too much fun at all,_

_But I'll be there for you_

_As the world falls down_

_Falling_

_Falling down_

_Falling in love_

_I'll paint you mornings of gold_

_I'll spin you Valentine evenings_

_Though we're strangers 'til now,_

_We're choosing the path_

_Between the stars_

_I'll leave my love_

_Between the stars_

_As the pain sweeps through,_

_Makes no sense for you_

_Every thrill is gone_

_Wasn't too much fun at all,_

_But I'll be there for you_

_As the world falls down_

_Falling_

_As the world falls down_

_Falling in love_

At the last word, both moved a little closer, hugged a little bit tighter, relishing in each other's presence.

Sarah reached up, and kissed his cheek, Jareth closing his eyes as he felt her lips linger there a little longer than a friendly kiss normally was. But as always, neither commented on that part of it, the possible underlying feelings, for fear the other did not reciprocate.

"Thank you." Sarah whispered. "For coming to me."

Jareth tilted her chin up before curling a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anything, Precious."

Sarah moved a little, and winced, her ankle throbbing in pain. She may have sprained it, and now the pain was building up again now that her sadness was fading.

Jareth said nothing as he moved her to the side and went to the other side of the bed, holding her ankle, and rubbing it and saying a few words to heal. The motions were so gentle, so sweet. Sarah just melted a little at feeling it.

He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Not too long, I will be able to teach you how to do some healing as well."

Sarah smiled at that. "That sounds handy. I can't wait."

Jareth sat back up, running his hand through his hair, his body seemed to almost glow in the starlight. To Sarah, nothing and no one was more beautiful than him. She thought back to the party, and looked down, closing her eyes and feeling resigned.

Jareth raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask, Sarah told him everything. She felt a little shy about mentioning that Eric wanted sex, but at the same time, completely safe. She knew Underground customs, that virginity wasn't something that important but also no one really cared or pressured anyone to sleep with them either. She never asked, but had no doubt that Jareth had experience as well. This made her feel insecure, the idea that he had been with what was probably many beautiful women. But, she squashed those thoughts. She had no reason to feel insecure, because she wasn't his.

Jareth listened intently, feeling angry again at those despicable humans for hurting his Sarah. His sweet Sarah, this girl that he had grown to really care for.

"Have, have you felt that way too? Have you felt just so worthless because of what someone else did to you?" Sarah whispered. She had meant it rhetorically, not really expecting Jareth to respond. Who would refuse Jareth?

He sighed and took her hand, comforting her. "Sarah, yes I have. Many years ago, I was courting a young lady. She cheated on me and I felt like if the person who was supposed to care about me, supposed to be working towards being my partner didn't care to the point of being so dishonest with me, then why did I matter? I felt the same as you. But you, Sarah, you shouldn't even have to think about it. You are a lovely person and deserve the best treatment."

His voice got hard now. "What Eric did was despicable and cowardly. If he really wanted sex, then he should have broken up with you first. Not like this. In my opinion, you should be willing to wait for someone especially if it's their first time, but nothing excuses his behavior."

He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand. "What you deserve is to be treated with respect. Sarah, please don't let this experience with a stupid boy bring you down."

Sarah dried the rest of her tears. "Thank you, Jareth. That means a lot. Still, I don't know what to do. I don't want to go out there, pretend that nothing is wrong."

She stood up. "I'm angry now. I'm angry that they would betray me like that! And on my birthday too, right under my nose!"

Jareth tried to not smirk at her sudden energetic disposition. Better angry than sad, he supposed.

"I should slap him, but I wouldn't dare touch that vermin! Ugh! And I want to take this stupid dress off! I can't believe it, Marilyn bought it for me."

Jareth grinned at her. "If you'd like, I can get you something else to wear, and think of a revenge plan."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh no, if you're thinking of using the bog, I can't have you doing that. I got to school with them you know."

Jareth leaned back, still grinning, but pretended to pout. "Oh come on Sarah. I need to have some entertainment."

Looking at him was a mistake, with him leaning back with his chest open for all to see, his necklace hanging sexily. Sarah shook her head, trying to clear her mind of such thoughts.

The king got up and stood next to her. "I do have a plan though, don't worry, it won't be permanent."

* * *

Sarah emerged from her room, a little nervous about what she was going to do, but felt braver. Per her request, Jareth got her a new dress just by hovering a hand right above her body. The silver dress changed to be black, with small gems dotting it as if it were the midnight sky. Indeed, some of the gems shone not just in white but blue and red like actual stars. Even her mask was a tad different, and he changed her heels to be black and not silver. Otherwise, not much else was changed about the dress itself.

Sarah stepped out, dazzling everyone she passed. A few steps later, she caught sight of her boyfriend, soon to be ex. He looked up and down her body licking his lips.

She hated it when he did that. It might have been flattering if he wasn't pressuring for her to have sex all the time. Instead, it made her feel dirty. She wasn't looking for a hookup, but for a relationship and for him to only lust after her made her sick. She had thought him a good but shallow person. Now she knew otherwise.

"Dance with me." He held out his hand to her.

Sarah wanted to scream at him, to tell him how on earth he could ask her to dance when he had just gotten done sleeping with her best friend. But, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jareth, leading Marilyn in a dance. At first, jealously build up in her but then she remembered their plan. She was further comforted when Jareth winked at her.

She accepted Eric's hand, but would not let him pull her close. They danced for a while, Sarah refusing to look into his eyes.

Eric frowned. "Babe, what's going on? You're just so distant today."

Sarah shrugged, trying to not think of the scene that she saw. "Nothing, just dance with me."

Not far, Marilyn was eyeing this stranger with great interest. "Where are you from? England?"

Jareth smirked. "Possibly." This girl was dull, and he had no idea why Sarah was friends with her. From what she told him, they met a long time ago, when they were children and just kept in contact. Both were very different, but he supposed that now, she veered from being moral as well.

He saw Sarah, and the plan was for him to actually just make sure that Eric didn't suspect anything. But, something sparked in him. A hint of jealousy, but more than that was anger. Anger that Eric had the gall to touch Sarah after betraying her.

On an impulse, Jareth decided to change up their plan. He looked back at Marilyn. "Who is that girl over there? She seems very beautiful."

Marilyn was taken aback at his question. "Oh, uh, that's Sarah. She's the birthday girl. Didn't you know?"

Jareth twirled her around, not wanting to touch her more than necessary. "I do know that, but she was wearing a different dress earlier, was she not? She looks stunning. No doubt the most beautiful here."

She gaped at Jareth, looking annoyed now. "Everyone says that, but she's also weird. Plus, she has a boyfriend." The girl spat.

Jareth raised an eyebrow, having fun baiting her. Instead of talking with her some more though, he just let go of her, the girl sputtering at him.

But his goal was in front of him, the beautiful girl in the star studded dress, the one whom he had stopped his heart from fully loving because he just couldn't take it. Instead, he loved her as a friend, a beautiful friend.

"Excuse me, might I steal this dance?"

Sarah looked and to her surprise, she was relived at seeing Jareth. She didn't even hear Eric, she had no idea if he answered, she just went to place her hand in Jareth's.

Having him this close to her was intoxicating, his body, his touch, his smell, everything was almost overwhelming.

"It's alright, I'm here." He whispered, not understanding why she was so nervous and thinking it was because she was near Eric. "I won't let anything happen to you, alright?"

Sarah nodded. She looked up into his eyes and saw that he really meant it with his very being. He really did care about her.

Unlike Eric. But of course, it was too much to hope that a king could ever fall in love with her.

The two danced together, and Sarah was sure that Jareth was working some kind of magic to keep her from falling or stepping on his toes because they were the most graceful couple there. Everyone at one point or another were whispering and staring at them, and not just because it was Sarah's birthday.

Jareth leaned down and whispered in her ear, the teen shivered from his hair touching her skin. "Sarah, you are amazing and extraordinary. Don't let Eric or Marilyn ruin that for you."

She looked into his eyes and felt her heart race. Oh, how much she wanted to tell him that he meant so much to her, that he made her feel extraordinary and beautiful.

But, she knew words meant power. Besides, she hadn't yet broken up with Eric.

So, she settled for something else.

"Thank you, Jareth. For being here for me." She touched his face. "It is good to have someone like you in my life."

Jareth grasped her hand and bowed at the end of the song, kissing her knuckles. "The pleasure is all mine, Precious."

He stepped away and nodded, Sarah knew what to do now.

Feeling a little braver, she stepped onto a step and clapped her hands a few times to get everyone's attention.

"Thank you, everyone, for being here!" She called out. "It means a lot that so many of you are here and having so much fun."

Honestly though, she couldn't care less. She didn't care about most of these people, most were just mindless kids her age who just wanted an excuse to have some fun at a rich girl's party, but she sincerely was glad that they were having a good time and not a bad time.

"I especially want to thank two people, Marilyn and Eric, please come up here."

At this, everyone whooped and hollered. Marilyn was the beauty queen and Eric was the popular boy, their class president and not to mention, someone that every girl wanted. Both looked unsure about it, but plastered beautiful smiles on their faces anyways.

"You know," Sarah continued when the whooping went down. "Now that I am 16, I've learned in the past year about myself, my own life and what was important. That includes the people in it, like my brother."

Looking out, she caught sight of a man with a mask on as well, the man had feathery light hair that glistened in the fairy lights. While some of the guests looked bored, the man just smiled at her and listened to every word.

Sarah smiled at his direction, really only talking to him now. "I learned that real friends, the real people who care about me would be there for me as the world falls down, when I'm at my worst, who will help me back up on my feet."

She looked into the crowed and looked back at the two people beside her. "I also had to learn to not take things personally when I am treated poorly. I am not perfect, but some things shouldn't be done to anyone."

She snapped her fingers once, and on the projector, was a picture of Eric and Marilyn. Though both were covered with a blanket, it was clear what they were up to.

Everyone gasped, and Sarah took off her mask and looked at them, both sputtering out excuses.

"It's not like that!"

"Sarah, please!"

The birthday held out her hand to silence them and spoke again. "You both lied to me! There is no excuse for that! Since you've decided to go behind my back, you deserve to be outed to everyone else that thinks you're both angels!"

She grabbed the lingerie that Eric had gifted her, balled it up and threw one piece at each of them. "Here! I think Marilyn has more use for it than I do!"

All of a sudden, the lingerie pieces turned into snakes and the two freaked out, screaming. Then just as quickly, they turned into goblins.

"WHAT ARE THOSE?!" Eric yelled as the goblin was chasing after him, Marylin screaming just the same.

"Are those goblins?" Marilyn stared in horror as one tried to bit her leg. Both fled the party, screaming their heads off.

To everyone else though, no one saw the goblin, just Sarah throwing lingerie at them. Their babbling didn't make any sense and the other teens wondered if somehow, they had snuck in some alcohol or something like that.

For weeks after that, Marilyn and Eric were branded as lunatic cheaters. Sarah heard a rumor that Marilyn had bright, ugly neon green hair for homecoming that wouldn't wash off for a week and a rumor that Eric couldn't "get it up" during sex for a few moths or so.

She asked Jareth about her suspicions, but he just pretended he had no idea what she was talking about. Still, she swore she saw a smile from the corner of her eye.


	3. Seventeen

Sarah plopped down on the couch, exhausted. She had just taken the SAT, the standardized test that was required for any university. She mumbled and grumbled about having to even do it, but at least it was over. At her second to last year of high school, she hoped that this was the only time she would have to take it, but she did have another chance later on if she really needed.

"How was yer test?"

She didn't even look up to see Hoggle, as she had expected the Underground citizens to bother her more now that her family was gone on a work trip. Normally they'd leave Toby with her but seeing as she had testing, they took him with them.

"Okay, I hope." She stretched to pop her back, loving the satisfying cracking noise it made. "What's up?"

Hoggle huffed. "Jareth is in an awful mood. I mean he threatens the bog on everyone but it's only the goblins that he actually threatens to KICK."

Sarah sat up. "Why's that? He didn't kick you, did he?"

Hoggle shook his head. "Nah, not that girlie. He just threatened it. I think some work or something is bothering him. He probably was hoping for a day off for his birthday but he is a king, ya know?"

Sarah gasped. "Oh no! I completely forgot that it's his birthday! ARG!"

She got up quickly, nearly knocking her friend over and ran to her room. Hoggle was about to follow her when she ran back out immediately with a few wrapping papers and a small box.

"What's in there?" Hoggle looked at her curiously as she quickly but carefully cut into the wrapping paper. "Is that a present for Jareth?"

Sarah grinned and pulled out the small box. She opened it and shoved it to Hoggle, still measuring the size of the wrapping paper. "It's a Rubik's cube!"

"A what?" Hoggle looked at her, very confused at the cube with different colors on each face.

"A puzzle." Sarah explained. "Here, let me show you."

She took the cube from him and tossed it in the air, using magic to turn around the cubes to mix the colors up. Hoggle watched in amazement as she caught it again, and this time, solved the puzzle with her own hands.

"Wow!" The dwarf exclaimed. "That was amazing!" He beamed proudly at his best friend.

Sarah swooped over and kisses his forehead. "Thank you! Do you think Jareth will like it?"

Hoggle could see the nervousness on her face, the uncertainty as well. He knew that she had feelings for the king, and he knew Jareth had feelings for her too. But, as always, he kept quiet. It wasn't his place to say anything unless she outright asked him. Such was the way of dwarves. It was considered rude to ask or to give opinions like that. Besides, Sarah was still young and there was no need to rush into a relationship.

He patted her hand and smiled. "I think he'd love it. Especially since it's from you. He cares about you a lot, ya know?"

Sarah blushed profusely. "I guess so. I don't want to seem annoying or anything. He probably has a lot of gifts already."

Hoggle sighed. When it came to Jareth, she was always scared of imposing on him or bothering him because that dense king still is so bad at showing his emotions. It was frustrating to watch. "Sarah, you're not annoying. He would be flattered. A gift from the heart and something sentimental is always more meaningful that any elaborate gift."

He inspected the wrapping paper Sarah was using, rolling his eyes at the shimmery glitter that speckled across it, knowing she chose it specifically for Jareth. "Besides, he has a soft spot for pretty girls like you."

He meant it as a joke, but the moment he said it, Hoggle knew he messed up.

Sarah's eyes went drawn and her posture heaved, slouching instead of sitting up straight. She sighed. "Does he have a lot of pretty girls surrounding him, then?"

Hoggle pinched his nose and wanted to kick himself. "Sarah..."

She shook her head. "I'm just another person, am I?"

"Now you just stop that!" Hoggle stood to face her, mad now. "You KNOW Jareth for two years now. He hasn't been courting anyone for YEARS. He doesn't spend time with anyone that he doesn't have to spend time with or doesn't want to. You ARE special ta him, Sarah."

"But he has surrounded himself with beautiful women, hasn't he?" Sarah spat out, absolutely failing at hiding her feelings. The very idea of other women (or men) in his arms made her feel this irrational rage then inadequacy.

Hoggle huffed at her. "Who are you to judge him though? He hasn't done anything dishonorable in that sense. Except for when he threatens me, THAT we should care about."

"Why does this always go back to you?" She retorted, giving up on the wrapping paper and using a little gift bag instead. "And for the record, I'm not judging him. He's free to do what he wants."

Hoggle sat back on the couch, still brooding about how mad he was at himself for starting this. He ignored her quip about it being about him, knowing she was upset. "Ya know what? If that's the case, then why do ya care what Jareth supposedly does why anyone else? And you're one to talk, you also had guys surrounding you last year. It's not a bad thing but you can't be a hypocrite and judge Jareth if you did the same thing."

Sarah just stared at Hoggle. She knew he was right, that she had no right to be upset if Jareth wanted to date anyone. But still, she had her pride and wasn't going to humiliate herself in front of Hoggle or Jareth.

She sighed. "I'm sorry Hoggle. No, I don't care. Don't get any ideas about me having feelings for him or him for me, understood?"

If looks could kill, Hoggle would be dead. He knew that message in her eyes. If he cared about their friendship, he'd drop the subject.

He just patted her hand. "Understood. Now, what else do you want to get that annoying king for his birthday?"

Sarah squeezed his hand in a silent thank you. "You'll see!"

* * *

Jareth collapsed on his Goblin Throne, the one he used for when he was surrounded by his goblins and other less sophisticated creatures, for lack of a better term. They drove him crazy, but he was much more comfortable here than having to sit upright and look poised all the time. Sometimes, he wanted to slouch or to have fun.

He made a crystal and rolled it back and forth boredly. Looking around, he felt something in him break a little. No one was around him. He was in this between, where he was a rebellious person within his own fae species, but too sophisticated for goblins. Sure, he had an allure where a lot of of his own kind would be drawn to him, but often, they didn't really fit with him.

He did have more friends now with his subjects, but he was still a loner.

"Much like Sarah." He mused sadly, almost bitterly. Except she'd never have him. And if she did, there was the risk of losing her forever if things turned sour. At this point in time, nothing was worth that. She was a light in his life.

He wondered why his throne room was so empty, normally there would be goblins doing stupid things and making a mess. In fact, it was CLEAN. He wondered when the last time he had seen the throne room this clean. Could it be a birthday present? Or was he too optimistic?

Jareth got up to survey the area, realizing very quickly it really was spotless. Instantly, the Goblin King knew that there was no way the goblins would have done this on their own or have done such a good job. His ears pricked up, wondering if this was a kind deed from someone or an act of ambush meant to distract him.

All of a sudden, he heard a crash. It sounded as if it was coming from outside. Screeches and giggles from goblins echoed in the room. Groaning, he wrapped himself in his cape and disappeared, wondering when he'd get his rest.

He thought he was prepared for whatever it was, but as it turned out, he wasn't. Not one bit. Paper confetti was flying down, picnic blankets everywhere. There was a large banner with lopsided letters and every color that said "Happie Birthdae Kingy!"

But the strangest thing was a large white screen, just floating above the grass. He blinked when he noticed a large ladder next to it and his mouth hung open at the girl on top of it.

"Oh! Hi Jareth!" Sarah called. She looked sheepish and half hid her face adorably. "You weren't supposed to come yet, it was supposed to be a surprise!"

"What surprise?" A goblin asked. "Oh hey, is Kingy supposed to be here?"

"Surprise birthday!" Another goblin screamed. Then he coughed, confetti exploding out of his mouth.

"Opy!" Sarah face palmed. "I said no eating the confetti!" She gave Jareth a half shrug of apology.

"Sorry lady!" Opy ran away. "Kingy please don't throw me in the bog!"

"Did you guys clean up the throne room?" Sarah asked sternly, still adjusting the white cloth.

Jareth laughed for the first time that day. "Oh Precious, you needn't worry about that. It's spotless! I should've guessed, no one is able to get the goblins to clean as you do."

"Damn straight." She grinned, climbing down. She made the mistake of looking down, feeling scared of falling.

She lost her balance, and screamed, conjuring a mattress to catch herself, but that wasn't even needed. Jareth had the quickest of reflexes, running towards her and caught her in his arms, the human girl clutching on his neck.

Now he really laughed. "Sarah, what am I to do with you?" He grinned so much, his pointy teeth were showing. Refusing to let her out of his arms, he conjured a couch and sat down on it with her still in his arms. He adjusted her so he could still hold her waist and the other hand was combing through her now messy hair.

Sarah pouted, trying to not get distracted by feeling the heat of his bare hands on her waist, or his fingers combing through her hair. She wasn't sure if he affected her this way because he was fae or because she had feelings for him. Feelings that she, of course, would never admit to him.

"Now now." Jareth teased. "You are very generous to plan such a lovely surprise for me." His eyes sparkled, and Sarah melted, knowing he was sincere. "But," he paused, "I still don't understand what exactly the surprise is. Some sort of party?"

He now saw that Sarah was wearing a lovely dress, one atypical of her usual jeans and a t shirt style. She had on a white dress that went to her feet with small golden sandals. Her hair was down as normal (but without her hair clip, a new look she had started not long ago and he rather liked it). The dress was off the shoulder, and he really had to contain himself to not trace his finger on her exposed shoulders and collar bone, instead pulling her a little closer to him, but not too close.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking of a movie night, if you're okay with that?" She wrung her hands a little nervously, hoping that he would enjoy the idea. "I've been trying to practice my magic in getting a projector and making this white sheet. The goblins wanted to join in too. Oh! And I made some lemon meringue pie, a new recipe from my grandma since you said you wanted to try. Here!" She conjured the pie on a plate, looking at him shyly.

Jareth looked at her in awe. Oh, this girl was precious indeed. No one was so sweet to him as she was, except his own mother, who sadly died when he was young.

"Lady can I have some?" A goblin jumped up and down.

"ME TOO!" Another was trying to climb on Jareth's leg when he kicked her off, the goblin laughing in delight as she flew.

"ME ME ME ME!" Others cane crowding around, and Jareth struggled with the urge to not bog them all in ruining his moment with Sarah.

As for Sarah, she was equally annoyed. "Guys, it's the King's birthday. Don't you think he deserves the slice of pie first?"

One of the smaller goblins sat down, thinking hard. "Can it be my birthday too?"

Jareth facepalmed.

"Fizzy, that's not how it works." Sarah said kindly but sternly. "Today is HIS day, okay? But you still get pie after he's done!"

Fizzy tapped a finger on her head. "Okie." She said after a while, content with the fact that she would still get food.

Jareth was in awe with how she dealt with them, and wondered if someday she'd lose her temper as he did. Being with goblins for as long as him tended to wear one down.

He made sure to have eye contact with Sarah as he dipped a finger in the pie and licked it off. To his delight, it was the perfect blend of fluffy goodness with sweetness. "It's delicious Sarah!" He was about to use his hands to eat the rest, but she pulled the pie away.

"Nuh uh, Your Majesty!" She teased. "You have to use a fork to eat it like a civilized person. And man, I added way too much sugar to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours! Here." She scooped some pie on a fork and presented it to him.

Jareth puckered his lower lip out in mocking sadness. "You're no fun." Still, he took the fork and had a large bite, still feeling giddy about the fact that she made him some pie.

Sarah handed him the plate and to her surprise, he didn't take a bite but was presenting it to her, as if to feed her. "Try it! You did a fantastic job!"

She noticed the flirty glint in his eyes, waiting for her to squirm and react to his words.

Oh no. Sarah Williams was NOT going to let him win this.

Instead of taking the fork from him, she surprised Jareth by taking a bite, but slowly, letting her lips envelope around the fork, pulling back and chewing, slowly swallowing the bite. She tried to not choke on how sweet it was, and luckily, she managed.

The next part surprised even herself. Sarah licked the fork clean of the lemon, running her tongue along it, never taking her eyes off Jareth's. She grazed her tongue along the edges, careful to not poke herself on the tip. Once again, she covered her lips on the fork and slid her lips away. She licked her lips and pretended to have a thoughtful look. "You know, Jareth, I guess you're right, I didn't do a bad job. Though, it was a tad sweet for me." Her voice was low and husky, her eyes a little darker than before.

Jareth gulped. He couldn't take his eyes off Sarah. She was just so gorgeous, and oh, did she tease him in licking the fork from his hand, knowing that the same fork had also been on his lips. His eyes were hard and he had to control the speck of arousal in them. Never had he been so tempted to grab her close and kiss someone before.

No, this was just a game. She was too young and meant too much to him to do anything. She was too young two years ago, and was still too young now.

They never knew how he would've reacted if the goblins hadn't been yelling at them, asking for their own slice. Like a broken spell, Sarah gasped and pulled from Jareth, tending to the goblins. The king sighed, but smirked at the bright red blush evident on her cheek.

"I also have an actual present for you, by the way." Sarah handed him the gift bag. "Open it!"

Jareth loved her enthusiasm. Excitedly, he opened the present to reveal a strange looking cube. He inspected it all around, studying it and looked utterly confused when he turned it, the colors shifting.

"It's a Rubik's cube, a type of puzzle." She told him as she told Hoggle, explaining how it worked.

"Puzzles are my specialty." Jareh grinned. "I love it! Thank you Precious." He beamed at her like a child on Christmas Day.

"And I beat your Labyrinth, the biggest puzzle." Sarah quipped. "It was a piece of cake!"

Jareth glared at her. "You know, I'm still not over that."

"Sore loser." Sarah shoved him playfully. She gestured towards the cube again. "Can you solve it?"

Jareth snorted. "I'm sure I can."

After the goblins were settled, Sarah turned on a movie, Indiana Jones, as Jareth hadn't seen it before.

"How have I not seen this?" He asked in between mouthfuls of popcorn. "Harrison Ford should be more known for this than Star Wars!" He was STILL trying to solve the cube the whole time, not understanding how Sarah had solved it. She had told him there was an algorithm to the madness and she herself figured it out, so why couldn't he?

Sarah took the bowl from him and stuffed a bunch in her face as the credits came on. "He is very popular for this movie, no doubt. I love Star Wars just as much, but I'd choose Indy over Solo any day, even if I do love Solo."

Jareth nodded. "And fighting Nazis. I remember during WWII, so many Jewish children were wished away to me. It was insane and I wish there more because of the atrocities they faced, but I can't take a child if I'm not summoned." He has also refused to take Sarah's advice on the cube. "Damn it! I give up on this stupid thing! Fine, tell me how to solve it!"

He felt the atmosphere shift, and he looked at Sarah, tears in her eyes. He blinked. "Sarah?"

She sniffed. "That's so awful. Not you of course, I mean the horrible things the Nazis did. How are you able to be so fun and kind when you've seen so many awful things? Those poor children."

Jareth wrapped an arm around her, his heart breaking at her tears but also softened at her sensitivity and sweetness. "Oh Sarah. I know, I know. I'm sorry I've made you distressed. You are so sweet and you have such a big heart."

Sarah leaned into him, her cheek touching his bare chest, feeling safe and secure in his arms. She sniffed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying on your birthday."

He smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. "No matter, Precious. It doesn't bother me. Those horrors have past, even if they do leave a mark on me. But, I try to let those marks force me to be wiser and more understanding. Sometimes though, they make me angry and closed off, as you well know."

Sarah nodded, still leaning on him. "I get that." She leaned back and held his face in her hands. "Jareth, promise me something."

He never felt more vulnerable than at that very moment. The way her pleading eyes stared into his made his soul open, he felt soft and exposed, but comfortable. With anyone else, he'd feel awkward and ashamed, but with Sarah, he felt at peace. "Anything for you, Precious." He whispered.

Sarah slowly ran her fingers through his fluffy hair. "Promise me, that if you feel that way again, closing off I mean, that you'll talk to someone. It can be me, I'll always listen to you as you have to me. We've talked to each other quite a bit about things in our lives and I'll never tire of it. Don't be alone, please."

It was easier said than done, but as he said, anything for his Sarah. "I promise, Sarah. I really promise."

He pulled her close, inhaling her scent on her neck, his arms enveloping her smaller body. "You know, Sarah, knowing that I can truly tell you anything is the best birthday present I could have."

Sarah chuckled. "You're sweet, you know?"

He grinned. "I've been told, my dearest. Also, tell me the algorithm for this Rubbish Cube."

She rolled her eyes. "Rubik's Cube, Jareth."


	4. Eighteen

"Will you hold still?" Jareth rolled his eyes at her. "You are just impossible!"

Sarah stuck her tongue out. "If I'm so bad, then why are you doing this?"

"Touche." Jareth relented, and proceeded to try to tickle her, but she was just too quick for him.

It was every High school aged American girl's dream to go to senior prom. Sarah didn't have a date though, she wasn't asked and frankly, she didn't want to BE asked by anyone unless it was strictly as friends. She had closed off her heart to romance, at least for now.

She was brought back to reality when she once again felt Jareth's hands in her hair, the sensation quite pleasant. He used a brush but also some magic to style her hair so that it would stay without use of hair products. It also kept her hair light and airy instead of brittle the next day.

His fingers wove through her, touching the crown of her head then down to where her head and neck met then to right above her ear. She watched his lips move in a spell as he made sure to keep her hair looking perfect for the whole night. The way his bare fingers touched her bare skin though, her body was screaming for more and it took her all she could to just not jump on him. Damn hormones, at least that's what she told herself. Hormones and nothing more.

Why was she with Jareth? Oh, Karen was stingy as hell and said that Sarah didn't have to go to a spa. Honestly, Sarah didn't really feel the need to go to a hairdresser but it would've been nice to have the option. Of course, she whined about it to Jareth and he insisted that he could help her get ready. Sarah argued with him, saying that she didn't need help (and she was worried that he would go overboard) but the thought of him helping her won out, on the condition that she provided everything. Jareth argued back and said that he could use his make up on her as he had so much, and Sarah relented only because of the favor she did for him in being in charge of the goblins for a few days while he nursed a large headache.

As promised, he made her hair elegant and classy, nothing over the top. She marveled at the classic Hollywood waves that graced her neck, the left side of her hair was parted.

She felt Jareth's gentle hands come to her earlobe and she tried to not faint when he gently put an earring in. They were her mother's, ruby red with a dangling pearl tear drop shape. He leaned over and did the same to the other ear, giving Sarah an ample view of his muscled chest. All she could think now was forcing herself to breathe evenly.

"Beautiful." Jareth breathed. "My, did I do a good job!" He complimented himself.

Sarah rolled her eyes at him. "Seriously?"

Jareth grinned at her, showing off his pointy teeth. "Come now, would you have been able to do your hair like this yourself?"

Sarah looked in the mirror, pleased at what she saw. She swished her hair a few times and ran her fingers through it, glad to find it soft unlike what it would be had she put in hair products. "You did do a great job. I do look beautiful."

"You always do though." He said quietly, his intense eyes looking at hers, as if his eyes weren't just eyes but bright blue flames.

Sarah couldn't keep looking at his intense gaze, so she turned away. It was as if his eyes burned through her very soul. "Thank you. Are you doing the make up now?"

Jareth cursed himself for looking at her so brazenly and making her feel uncomfortable. "Yes." His voice got quiet. Knocking on the top of his drawer a few times, it popped open to reveal some of everything. But the largest of his collection were highlighters, most of them glitter.

Sarah's eyes widened. "How are you able to GET so much make up?"

Jareth ran his fingers through a few supplies, gazing at Sarah's face closely to decide what was the best for her, as if he was creating some sort of masterpiece. "I've been around a very long time, Precious. I've learned not just how to acquire make up, but how to make them on my own. It's a lot cheaper to make them yourself. Though, it took me quite a bit to learn how to perfect my skills."

He selected some foundation, holding it up to her face. Snapping his fingers, he slowly adjusted it so it was the color as her skin. He took a brush and began applying it to her face, deep in concentration. "Now, the important thing is to make sure that the foundation is applied not just your face, but neck and torso if it's not covered. Otherwise you'll look like a clown."

He was doing it to her forehead, then slowly graced down to her cheeks, the soft brush tickling her skin just lightly. He was sure to do it evenly and smoothly, and Sarah could see the care he took to do the best that he could, just for her.

Though they were just friends, putting on make up as friends go, there was a layer of intimacy laced in this act. The closeness that both wanted to feel without actually touching the other person in any way that suggested a romance. It was the effect they had on each other, though neither spoke it out loud. They didn't know how the other felt, afraid to destroy that delicate balance.

His brush went lower, just above the line of her breasts. Still appropriate, but being this close to him was almost too much for Sarah. Even though they weren't touching skin to skin, knowing that the brush was probably also used on Jareth's body made her weak. It went from one shoulder to the other in smooth strokes.

She shivered.

"Are you cold?" He asked, referring to her shiver. "I can turn the heat up if you'd like." He was about to snap his fingers but Sarah stopped him.

"Uh, no, that's okay." Her voice was soft and shy. Suddenly, Sarah was quite aware that she was wearing a bathrobe and only panties underneath to make it easier to change into her dress afterwards.

Jareth had his suspicions, and he wondered briefly if she might feel the same way for him as he did for her. But that notion was quickly pushed aside. There's no way she wanted him. Sure, he was attractive and they got along well, but why would any woman subject herself to be with him permanently? He was a king of a bunch of goblins, he was the protector of children and of the two borders. He wasn't poor but was not rich either. No, he couldn't tell her how he felt. Even more than before, he took those feelings, wrapped them up in a bag and tried to throw them away, but couldn't. So, he just stored them away as best as he could.

Sarah noticed the dark shadow that crossed his eyes, but it went away as quickly as it came. Distracted by that, she almost didn't hear him talk to her.

"Some eyeshadow now." He informed her. Using only his finger, he got some shimmery gold eye shadow. "Close your eyes."

Jareth sighed in relief as she closed them, knowing that she couldn't see his uneasiness. She was so beautiful, and it wasn't easy to control his facial expressions. He slowly applied the eye shadow on each of her eyelids, not overdoing it. The point of makeup tonight was to enhance her features, not change them.

"Some blush now." His voice turned into a husky whisper as he ran the blush on her cheeks, wondering if she really needed them, seeing as she was blushing so hard. He then added a little mascara.

"Why don't you use magic?" Sarah asked quietly. "Isn't it easier?"

Jareth snorted. "You know magic well enough by now Sarah. You know the answer, come on."

She rolled her eyes. "But this is more time consuming."

"Yes I know." Jareth smirked. "But I am able to be more precise this way. If I had a set way of putting make up on, it would be easy to just magically do it. I've never put make up on you, and I want to do it carefully. You deserve to look your best tonight, Precious."

She looked away, flattered. "Thank you again for helping me."

Jareth began to apply some bold red lipstick on her. "No, thank you for giving me this chance. It's fun, and I can't wait to see how you'll look."

She could've fainted from how that sounded to her ears.

After that, she got her dress on. Or at least, the best she could. She needed some help in lacing it up.

Ugh. She was going to have to ask Jareth for help putting on her dress. This was ridiculous.

"Jareth?" She called out. "Can you, uh, help me put this dress on?"

The air next to her shimmered and she heard him snickering. He was clearly amused at her discomfort.

"Knock it off." She glared. "I could get a goblin to help me instead."

"Then why don't you?" He teased her, his fingers expertly lacing the back (Sarah tried to not imagine him UNlacing them instead).

"No idea." She huffed.

"Sarah, you realize that your reaction is what's so funny, right?" He smoothed his hand down her spine to make sure that he laced it correctly, sending goosebumps to both of them. He touched her shoulder and turned her around.

He forgot how to breathe.

Sarah's ruby colored dress had wide straps to hold it up, then the front curved into a sweetheart neckline. The satin material went down to her ankles. She felt like a 50s Hollywood Star, nothing too out there and still tasteful in any era.

"What's wrong?" Sarah couldn't read Jareth's expression. "Does it look weird?"

He blinked, snapping out of it. Gently, he reached for both her hands and kissed the back of her knuckles. "No, Sarah. Not at all. In fact, you exceeded my expectations, which is saying something. You are far beyond stunning, and don't you ever think that you're not beautiful."

He shifted a little, and decided right then and there that Sarah was indeed very special to him. And he wanted to prove it to her in a more tangible form.

Before Sarah could respond to his words, he offered her his arm. "Precious, I want to show you something."

She looked at him, intrigued. "Well, lead the way, Goblin King."

He walked into his chambers, where Sarah had only been a few times. Unlike her bedroom which was an open space for the goblins and Toby, this was a very intimate and private room, she could tell. She had only been in there to get something or chase goblins out for rumors could always arise.

He walked over to a closet door, and pressed his hand to it. Instantly, the door opened, leading them down some fantastic marbles spiral stairs.

"It's a little cold down there." Jareth mumbled, removing Sarah's arm from his. "You don't have your wrap with you, and I'm more warmly dressed than you are anyways." He said as he took off his glittering cloak and wrapped it around her body, one arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Sarah loved the way his cloak felt. It wasn't too warm or too cold, but just right. It smelled like him even, and to have his arm around her made her feel even better. She pressed her side to his as they walked down the staircase.

He waved a hand, illuminating the area with lights and Sarah gasped. All along the walls were jewels, each with labels of what they were and where they came from and to whom.

"These are technically all mine." Jareth informed her. "Well, the crown's anyways. I want to donate them to a new museum, similar to your Smithsonian so they're safe. Well, some of them anyways. These are all collections from the past monarchs or gifts. I don't have my own collection as I don't wear anything but my pendant."

"God, these are beautiful." Sarah breathed. "I hate the commercialization of jewelry but I love how it looks. Thanks for showing it to me, Jareth."

He chuckled, and she loved feeling his deep voice radiate through her. "You are sweet. But, this wasn't what I wanted to show you. Maybe next week we can go through them slower and I can tell you some history, you nerd."

She stuck her tongue playfully out as he winked.

They walked into one hallway, and there was a collection labeled "Queen Eleanor." Each was placed on a holder and had light to illuminate their beauty. Behind the jewels was a mirror where Sarah could see her own reflection and Jareth's. He was looking at her fondly, but also with fear that she'd hate this place. It flattered and touched her to know that her opinions meant a lot to him.

Out of all the collections she had seen, this one was the smallest and simplest one but also very classy. Only a few jewels were there, and as Sarah read them, it seemed that it was more because of sentimental value than any monetary value.

It was sweet actually, and she could see where Jareth got his sentimental streak from.

"My mother would wear jewelry from other collections, like her mother or something at times." Jareth told her. "She didn't care about wearing the same thing many times. I do miss her quite a bit."

He looked down, not feeling sad enough to cry, but still a little broken. He missed his sweet mother, her playfulness and how she loved him more than anything. If it weren't for her, he'd probably be more callous than how he already was.

He felt a smaller hand intertwining fingers in his, and the king didn't even hesitate to let Sarah do it. She rubbed her thumb up and down his. It was a powerful message, a message that she cared about him and encouraged him to remember his mother. Even if it was painful.

"I'm so sorry she died when you were so young." Sarah whispered. "I know she loved you very much. If she was here today, she'd be proud of you, I know this." She let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around him. "It's okay, I'm here Jareth."

He lost it. He didn't feel like crying before but he did now. He hadn't cried about his mother since she first died. He clutched Sarah tighter to him, and she never relented as she shuddered and let his tears flowed down.

Sometimes, he felt the butterflies in his stomach around her. But now wasn't those times. Now he felt safe and at home. He felt peace, as if this was how the world was meant to be. Nothing felt more right than to be in each other's arms.

After a bit, he pulled back. "Ah crap." He used her Aboveground terminology. "I got tears on your dress."

Sarah giggled and twirled a strand of his hair on her finger. "Tears can dry, don't worry. I'm glad you feel safe enough to talk to me about these things."

"You have no idea, Precious." He held her close. "Thank you for letting me do this. I treasure you more than I can say." And he meant it, with all his heart.

Sarah's heart soared. She had wanted to hear these words for so long.

He cleared his throat a little, still overcome with emotion. He looked into their reflection, and somehow, he knew that his mother would approve of what he was about to do.

He hovered his hand over the glass and whispered what Sarah knew was a recognition spell. It was to prevent anyone from opening the glass but certain people.

The glass disappeared and Jareth reached in to a certain ruby necklace. The middle jewel was a tear drop shape like Sarah's earrings and the rest of the chain had tiny diamonds all over.

"This was my mother's favorite necklace." Jareth whispered, holding it reverently for Sarah to see. "She loved simple things. Isn't it gorgeous?"

Sarah looked at it in awe. "It certainly is. I can see why it's her favorite."

Jareth smiled, taking his cloak off Sarah, who looked at him, confused. He stood behind her, and she could see their reflections. He lowered the necklace in front of her, and Sarah realized what he was doing.

"Jareth, I can't possibly wear this!" She exclaimed. "It's too-"

"Too what?" He asked softly. "It's not too beautiful for you, as I've said, you are beautiful and plus this fits your dress well. It is not too valuable for any person is more valuable than a piece of jewelry, especially you. If you're scared of it getting stolen, don't worry, I've put on a protection spell. It can't be stolen while it is being worn and when you take it off, just make sure to put in a special container that I'll give you later."

Sarah still tried to protest. "It belonged to your mother, Jareth."

"All the more reason to wear it, Precious. It's mine now, and I want you to not just wear it, but have it. Besides, what's the point of beautiful jewelry if it isn't worn or displayed as a historical piece at a museum. My mother would've approved, she would've loved you."

At that last sentence, Sarah heard his voice go soft. Did he feel what she felt? What did this mean?

All Sarah knew was that if she tried to be with him now, he'd have the upper hand. He was more experienced than her, and besides, how could he want her, a lowly mortal? Yes he thought highly of her, but to have her would means many things with him being king.

So, as they have been doing these past few years, she didn't say anything outright and just stayed within the lines of friendship, careful to never cross over to something more.

She turned to face him. "You're really adamant about this, aren't you?"

Jareth's eyes sparkled. "As I am about most things, my dear."

She shook her head, grinning, turning back around, Sarah lifted her hair up with magic so he could clasp on the necklace. She saw their reflections, and felt the cool stone touch her collar bone and his warm fingers tracing the necklace around her neck as he clasped it.

"It's as if it was made for you." He said gently. "Mother would definitely approve."

He conjured a chair and beckoned Sarah to sit. She looked at him curiously, but did as he asked. "What for, Jareth?"

He snapped his fingers and Sarah's red shoes with golden butterflies on top appeared in his hands. He knelt down and slipped her slippers off. "Every Cinderella needs her shoes for the ball, am I right?"

She blushed as he slowly slipped them on her feet, careful to be gentle. It was such a sweet and meaningful gesture, and she didn't want it to end.

"The perfect fit, my princess." He smiled shyly at her. He squashed his inner voice telling him that she was not his princess, but his QUEEN.

"You sure you don't want to get your nails done?" Jareth batted his eyes. "You know, I'm excellent at manicures. Plus you are awful at keeping your nails long and lovely."

Sarah swatted at him. "Do shut up."

* * *

Sarah was having a blast with Ernest and Molly, two friends she decided to go to prom with. Sadly, Ernest had been rejected by a girl and Molly didn't have a date so they decided to have fun together. They had dinner by a lake and then to the crystal ballroom.

Everyone was surprised at how gorgeous Sarah looked. Jareth's make up skills were really fantastic. He was not only talented, he made her still look totally her with minimal make up. Sarah supposed that the fact that she hardly wore make up probably helped. No, she wasn't feeling prideful, but she did feel more beautiful than everyone else there and people even told her so.

The theme was Camelot, whatever that meant. There were backgrounds of castles and such, so Sarah went with her friends took photos together.

She loved this, not worrying about a date. This was so much more fun than some random teenage boy dancing with her awkwardly. She could joke with Molly and Ernest. They joined in with other friends, eating good food and not really caring who was the prom king and queen as everyone there was royalty anyways.

Well, there was someone more royal than the rest, actually.

The first slow song came on, and the friends all left the ballroom to come back when more upbeat songs were on. Right as they were leaving, Sarah felt a touch on her shoulder.

Turning around, she blinked in surprise. "Jareth?"

"Hey Sar, what's taking you?" Molly and Ernest called when they spotted Jareth. "Oh." They said at the same time. The look of affection on his face at Sarah was obvious.

He inclined his head, an adorably nervous smile on his face. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting, but I was wondering, if I could have a dance with this lovely lady?" He held his left hand out, his right behind his back.

Sarah grinned at him, and turned to her friends. "Go on without me guys, I'll join you when you come back."

Molly and Ernest shrugged, and walked out with other single friends.

Jareth pulled Sarah close, holding her waist, but not inappropriately. He spun her around, and Sarah's eyes got softer. "Jareth, I love this song."

He smiled and leaned in closer to her ear. "I love this song too."

He sung Wild is the Wind for her, Sarah loving the David Bowie version more than any other song, well with the exception of As the World Falls Down. It had been a longtime dream for her to have someone sing this song to her as Jareth did.

When that ended, another slow song came on.

"Why are you here?" She asked him playfully.

Jareth gave her his signature pointy teeth smile. "Cinderella dances with the prince, doesn't she?" He spun her around, feeling jovial as he never had. He couldn't help but sneak in one dance with her, knowing how beautiful she looked.

Sarah ducked under his arm and came back up, her eyes gleaming. "You're not a prince though, are you Jareth?"

The King of Goblins moved her left hand that had been on his shoulder and rested it on his chest. "No, Sarah. I'm much better. I'm a king."

"You certainly are." Sarah complimented him.

Like his usual self, Jareth puffed up at the praise. "Though your attire will not be gone by midnight, I will be gone after a few songs, I can't stay long."

Sarah squeezed his hand. "That's okay."

The song ended, and Sarah kissed his cheek, Jareth felt his mother's necklace on her touch his neck when she leaned towards him.

"Thank you, Jareth. For giving me the best prom night I could ever have had."

Jareth kissed her cheek back, letting his lips linger a bit. "Thank you for letting me be a part of it, Precious." He traced the outline of the necklace, smiling down at her, knowing that his mother, where ever she was, wouldn't have any other wear her favorite necklace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically her senior prom was just like mine. I went with friends and had a blast! Going with friends is the bomb and literally no one cares about the prom king and queen unless it's for fun, but if you take it THAT seriously then dude you need to get a life lol. Too bad Jareth wasn't there to dance with me though. Bummer.
> 
> If you want to see my inspiration for Sarah's prom dress, look up Jennifer Connelly wearing her dress from Rocketeer but then picture it red and without gloves. Isn't she just stunning?
> 
> Also, if I were to rewrite this story, I probably would have toned down their attractions for each other (Jareth's attraction to her especially) prior to her turning 18. I hope it's okay as is though, I tried to keep it friendly at the time of writing this.


	5. Nineteen

"I still can't believe this is happening." Sarah ran her fingers through her hair. "I guess I can't really complain about it though."

Jareth leaned back on his chair and sipped on some more lemonade. Sarah was feeling all sorts of emotions about leaving home and going to college across the country in UCLA, still feeling very unsure about everything. It took him a lot of patience to listen to her especially as he himself had to leave home to be the goblin king at what would be equal to 18 or 19 years old. Still, it didn't mean that it wasn't hurting Sarah. Just because he had it worse didn't make it any easier on her.

It was times like this that he was reminded of how much of a more understanding person he was evolving to be, all thanks to Sarah. Honestly, she had to be just as patient with him too but for different reasons. He often could be cruel and she softened his blow, making him a gentle person. Strength, he learned, didn't mean being callous but also having the insight to show vulnerability.

"I take it that your gap year wasn't long enough?" He asked her. "Do you not want to go to a university?"

Sarah sighed and rested her head in her hands. "I do want to go. I have nothing to complain about. I guess I'm just nervous about being on my own, to not see Toby as often. Or you and everyone else in the Underground for that matter since I'll have a roommate. I am glad to be quitting my preschool teacher job though. I love children, but damn, that was hell. Babysitting is one thing, but to be a preschool teacher means actually teaching and disciplining them. Not to mention how often I got sick because kids are so germy."

"I can imagine." Jareth chuckled. "I'm surprised you didn't wish any of them away to me."

Sarah swatted him playfully as he roared with laughter. "Jareth, if I wished anyone away to you, you'd never let me forget it and you'd get more and more infuriating than you already are."

He bit his bottom lip in an attempt to not laugh, still grinning at her. "If infuriating means dashingly handsome, I doubt I can get any more good looking than this."

"You and your ego." Sarah shook her head, making a bored face. "Why do I put up with you?"

Jareth leaned towards her, stroking his chin. "Maybe I'm just so damn charming and you can't resist me?"

"Keep dreaming, Glitter Boy." Sarah got up and took his glass of lemonade, going to the sink to wash them. She heard Jareth getting up to follow her, bringing the plates they had used to eat croissants out of. She turned on the faucet, but he took the glasses from her.

"Let me." He offered. "You can help me dry them this time since you washed last time."

It was a routine they had developed during their weekly meetings in the little kitchenette inside the Castle. Well, as weekly as they could. It really depended on their schedules. They would have lunch or a snack, one of them would wash the dishes while the other dried them. It was comforting to both of them.

"Back to going to a university, I know how frightening that can be." Jareth said wisely, scrubbing the inside of the glass with soap. "It's a new place, with new people and you have to start over. That's never an easy thing. And you'll be living in LA, such a big city too. But don't forget, you'll have opportunities as well, you know?" He handed her the glass to dry.

Sarah nodded, feeling ridiculous at even feeling nervous and complaining to Jareth. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I must sound so stupid to you. You've been king because your dad just retired and didn't want to take responsibility. I have no basis for comparison, as you once told me."

She shuddered a little, feeling melancholy. "But Jareth, I'm so scared to be away from home. To go to a new place, to not feel that comfort and familiarity, that's all so new to me. I haven't been away from either of my parents for more than a week at most." Ugh. Sarah hated that even when she tried to not complain and let her emotions out, she did anyways. It just felt so safe to do it in front of Jareth.

Without a word, the Goblin King turned off the faucet and put his hand on Sarah's elbow. Dishes can wait. "Sarah, you don't sound stupid to me. Maybe you haven't been forced to rule over goblins because of a stupid and neglecting father, but you are doing something so new and alien to you. Your hurt and fear is valid. You also are logical about it, knowing that it'll get better. The unknown is always, always scary. If it helps, I will still try to visit you often. We can go explore LA together once in a while, but I really want you to have your own friends too, okay?"

He tucked in a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm glad you're speaking to me. Please don't ever feel like you can't. It'll never be too much for me, ever."

Sarah wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek on his chest. Jareth pulled her close and rubbed her back, letting her know he was there.

"Thank you, Jareth." She said quietly. "You make things so much easier and better. It means a lot to me."

And it was true. She knew she'd be fine without him, but he made her life so much better. She could only hope that she made his life better too.

Jareth kissed her forehead. "It's the least I can do, Precious." He pulled her away from his body and smiled down at her. "You will do so many great things in your life, I know it. And, maybe college will be a good opportunity for you to meet and date instead of high school boys."

He said that last sentence with a sad smile, wanting her to have the freedom to date whoever she wanted. It would be good for her to date someone else. How could he be good for her? He could offer her dreams, but those were just dreams. Real life was difficult with him. She would have to deal with the emotional trauma that he dealt with when people wished a child away or the aloofness of people from other courts and living forever while seeing her family and world die.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, I guess dating again would be nice. Hopefully college guys would be somewhat more mature, who knows."

Truth was though, while she'd date, she couldn't imagine wanting anyone more than Jareth. But, how could he want her and how would she be good for him? He could have any girl who was stronger, more mature than her and more beautiful. Any woman who would have Jareth was lucky indeed.

They didn't even notice that they were walking the castle halls, Sarah's hand automatically on Jareth's arm. No rumors would be spread about them, they knew, for this was Jareth's home and every staff was loyal to him and had made an oath to him. In fact, a few of the employees came and greeted them here and there as they went about their day.

"Where are we going to?" Sarah asked him as the castle shifted itself. Sometimes, it would do that, to cater to the feelings and emotions of the person if they did not have a set destination.

Jareth tapped a finger on his lips. "Honestly? I'm not sure. Let's see where it leads us, perhaps?"

Sarah nodded, and they walked a bit, the doors leading them to a door that was painted black and white. It was simply done, but Sarah smirked at seeing the glitter speckled across it. Typical Jareth.

She glanced over to him and saw a very content smile on his face as he placed his hand on the door, pushing it opened so he would go inside.

Her eyes widened at the beauty of the room. I was simple yet ornate at the same time, with marbled floors and gilded window sills that let natural light in. On the wall opposite to the window was a bookshelf with books that stretched further than she'd ever seen (besides Jareth's library, of course).

But nothing was more magnificent than the grand piano in the middle.

It was well polished and a dashing shade of midnight black, and no glitter, she noticed. It was so elegant and smooth with a matching seat for the pianist. It was then that Sarah realized that the books were probably all music books.

Jareth watched her leave his side to inspect the books, and he smirked. So typical of her. He loved seeing her get excited over books, especially his books. It was adorable and he could watch her be cute forever.

Looking at the bookshelf, she realized she was right. Most weren't in English but as she flipped through the pages, there were music notes and music theory books as well as music history. It was music in the Underground as well as Aboveground. No wonder Jareth's collection was so huge!

She turned around and faced Jareth, handing him a book. She knew how to read music as she had played flute in middle school and high school, though she was a terrible singer and always would be. The book she knew was a lovely piano solo that she desperately wanted Jareth to play.

"Could you play this piece for me?" She asked him quietly. "I once had a flute solo with this piece and I would love to hear it on piano."

Jareth smiled warmly at her polite request, loving how adorably shy she was to even ask. He didn't play often for others one on one, not even Sarah, but now he wanted to do it more often if it meant seeing her smile.

"It would be my pleasure to play Salut d'Amore for you, Precious."

He sat down, his eyes in a dreamlike state as his fingers glided across the black and white keys. He could play many instruments, but piano was where it was at for him. No other instrument could play on its own so beautifully and ring so well. The range was the widest as well, from the lowest of the lowest notes to the shrill high ones.

He didn't just play with his fingers, but his mind and body. He moved along with the music, emoting deeply and sincerely. This was a piece composed by Edward Elgar to his bride to be, and Jareth imagined what his own wedding day would be like and tried his best to not picture Sarah in it.

Sarah loved the way his muscled chest rippled and moved along to the music, his feathery hair glistening in the light of the sun and how his gloveless fingers swept across the keys. He was so into it, and it was a beautiful thing to see a musician pour their soul into it. She loved this piece, and she knew Elgar composed it for his fiancée. She tried to imagine her own wedding day, but could not get Jareth out of her mind as her future husband, no matter how she tried.

He let his fingers linger on the last note, and then he pulled it off, staring at Sarah. He knew she felt the love and emotion he poured, musicians tended to feel that kind of thing. He felt more exposed than he ever had, wondering what she thought of his silent confessions and whether she knew it was directed at her.

Sarah walked over quietly, not wanting to break the spell the music had created. She sat down next to him on his left side, shoulder to shoulder, then gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Jareth. You play so beautifully."

By the gods, he actually blushed. "Well, I've had a long time to learn. Piano is my favorite instrument to play though all are fun or lovely."

Sarah held his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I wish I could play piano, but I'm content just listening to it."

Jareth chuckled. "Do you want to learn? Here."

He reached over with his left hand around her back so she was almost leaning against his chest. He delicately lifted her hands to the keys, adjusting her fingers and curling them. His hair ghosted along her neck and Sarah struggled to not lean back into him. It was just so tempting. Sometimes, she would shiver at his touch but not today. Today she felt warm and cozy, as if at home.

"All your fingers must be curved evenly." He instructed her. "This is to have control. Your ring finger and pinky are weaker than the rest and will want to pop up, so don't let it happen as much as you can."

Sarah tried to play a five note "scale" and just as he said, her small fingers were popping up. She made a noise of annoyance at herself.

"It's okay, it takes practice." Jareth said warmly. "Here, keep your wrists straight or it'll be sore. Plus it helps."

He placed his hands on her wrists and straightened them out. "You're doing great, you really are."

Sarah beamed at his compliment. "Well, I have a good teacher. I guess you're a good music teacher as well as a magic teacher."

Jareth curled his hands over hers to readjust them. "Why thank you, Precious. I do try and it helps to have a good student."

He told her about how each fingers had "numbers" to make it easier to read music and how to cross her thumb under her hand when playing a major scale. As Sarah could read music already, all he had to do was teach her bass clef and how to read both at the same time.

"How on earth do you read both at the same time? My head hurts." She complained. "And to play anything other than a C major scale is kinda hard."

Jareth chuckled. "It is at times, but again, practice. You'll get the hang of it."

Sarah never wanted to leave. If she could pause time, she'd pause it at the moment when his arms were on hers, his chest on her back and her lips kissing his cheek. "Thank you for teaching me, Jareth. You know, I feel guilty about you teaching me without paying you back."

Jareth's heart soared and he resisted the urge to kiss her lips. "You're welcome. And besides, the amount of work you help me with the goblins and wished away children can count as payment if that makes you feel better. But even if you didn't, I'd do it for you anyways."

He moved himself so he was hugging her from the front. "Anything for you, Sarah."

* * *

After spending time with Jareth, she spend the whole day with her family one last time before moving to LA. Jareth has kindly reordered time for her so she could spend a lot of time with them, but now she was exhausted.

Even so, she couldn't sleep. She tried to read books and doodle or write but nothing was helping. She was homesick already and scared out of her mind.

Sarah walked to her bed and sat in it, staring at the night sky. Normally she'd relish in the beauty of the stars but she just couldn't tonight. Her head ached and her heart was scared. She didn't even want to use magic to soothe the headache.

She did the only thing she knew would calm her down. She whispered his name.

"Jareth. I need you, please be here if you're not busy. If you are, come as soon as you can."

Normally she'd deal with her emotions herself. She never called for him outside of their usual meeting time, only writing him letters. The only exception was her 16th birthday when Eric cheated on her and even then calling him had been an accident.

Not even a second after she finished her sentence, the air shimmered and standing in front of her was the king of goblins. Jareth had on a hurried look on his face, looking unguarded and disheveled. He had on his breeches but he also had on a purple silk robe for nighttime, his chest bare as was clear this was that he slept shirtless.

Sarah gulped, instantly regretting calling him. He looked tired and she was sure she had woken him up and she felt bad about calling for him instead of just dealing with her own emotions as she usually did.

Stupid, stupid girl!

Jareth took in the sight before him. She had on simple pale pink silk pajamas. It was actually very intimate to see her like this, as it usually is when you see one wearing their clothes to sleep for sleep was when you're the most vulnerable and unguarded. He knew that look on her face, it was the look of not physical danger but emotional and mental pain. He had seen it in his runners and he had seen it in himself. He also saw regret that she had called him, and shame.

"I know what you're thinking." He said softly. "And don't worry about bothering me. I came to you when I was at my low as well but even if I didn't, you deserve to not be alone in a time of need. You are not weak for dealing with this with someone else, it's a sign of strength to open, strength you have taught me."

Sarah stared, surprised. "Wow, you really do know me well." She said quietly. "But still, I don't want to be a bother."

He walked to sit next to her, picking up her blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders, smoothing it over her back and pulling her close as they looked at the stars. "I know your guilt usually wins over your needs, but don't feel guilty. I like spending time with you."

Sarah felt happy, and now, was no longer regretting asking Jareth to come over. Her heart seemed to increase in size and she scooted closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

They sat like that in companionable silence, Jareth's arm around her shoulders and her hands modestly in her lap. The stars seemed brighter and the moon almost seemed to smile at them, a single lyric coming to Sarah's mind.

I'll place the moon within your heart

Once again, Sarah wondered what that song actually meant. That delicate balance between them, where they were friends and yet flirted and were more companionable than friends, she didn't want to ruin it. She didn't know what he'd say. Did he just think of her as some silly kid? She squashed any ideas of being with him. What he needed was a queen, and she wasn't sure if she was up to the task.

So she kept these thoughts to herself.

It hadn't escaped Jareth's observation that he was sitting in a bed of a young woman dressed in her pajamas, his arm around her. Such an action was so intimate and so close and to know that she came to him in times of need and in times of happiness made him happier than he could say. Besides himself being king and his subjects, his world was her. And when her life fell apart, so did his.

Some days, he could see her as a friend and not feel pain. But today, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her and make her feel better. He just wanted to hug her and let her know that she was beautiful and deserved to be love and he would give all of that. He wanted to show her off as his girl and he wanted to feel her praise as she introduced him as her significant other to people she knew.

It didn't escape him that as the king of dreams, he couldn't give his own to himself. So, he kept his thoughts to himself.

He felt Sarah shift a little closer and he turned to see that she was staring at his face. She played with the edge of the blanket and gave him a small smile to which he returned.

"I'm glad you came." She said finally. "It means a lot, I didn't want to be alone tonight and I tried to get Toby to have a sleepover in either my room or his, but that silly kid thinks he's too old to share a room with his big sister."

Jareth could hear that cryptic message in between her words. Sarah didn't want to sound as if she was desperate for his attention which was why she mentioned Toby. She didn't mention why she didn't call any of her friends from the Underground to keep her company and he knew that she didn't try or else they'd be there in an instant for her. She only called for him, and that made him happy to know that he was the first person she thought to call on.

"I'm glad I can be of assistance." He said quietly. "I'm here for you, Sarah."

She looked into his eyes and took a chance. "You'll be there for me, as the world falls down?"

Jareth just smiled at her, trying very hard now to not kiss her. "Yes, especially when your world falls down."

They talked for a bit, exchanging stories of their day and staring at the stars. They teased and giggled and she play punched him as they rolled on the bed laughing and having word battles.

Finally, she was comforted enough to go to sleep. But still, she didn't want to for it meant Jareth leaving. She wanted to feel him next to her and holding her just as he was right then.

He noticed her eyelids fluttering sleepily and her small yawn. He smirked and pulled the blankets up to her, making sure that her head was on her pillow. He turned to leave, but felt a small tug on his sleeve.

He was surprised to see tears in her eyes. Why was she so sad? She had calmed down for a while now.

Her lower lip trembled. This was not one of her proudest moments and she hated begging. Her voice was barely audible and he only heard it because of his excellent hearing. "Jareth, I don't want to be alone."

He sat back down on her bed, running his fingers in her soft black hair. He knew what she wanted and she was too shy to ask for it. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?"

She nodded, and he lifted her blanket and slid in next to her, pulling her so she was resting on his chest. He ran his thumb along her chin. "Sarah, I won't leave tonight, you have my word."

She was so tired, Sarah didn't even realize that she was nuzzling in his chest. She'd never do that if she was more awake and had more self aware, but sleepiness tended to leave someone more vulnerable and more honest. "I trust you, Jareth."

He knew what that meant. Trust that he wouldn't touch her inappropriately. Trust that he wouldn't leave. Trust that he'd hold her close. Trust that he wouldn't make fun of her vulnerability and use it against her.

He kissed her forehead, elated that one of her hands came to rest on his bare chest, touching his pendant, fingers intertwined in the chain. She had never touched his bare chest with her hand before, and it was a nice feeling that comforted him.

He felt her breathing slow, knowing now that she was asleep.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to reorder time so she could sleep longer." He mumbled, turning his finger in a circle so they'd get a good night sleep. He kissed her cheek one last time and snuggled next to her. "Good night, my Precious Sarah. Sweet dreams."

And there they laid, the Goblin King and his Champion until the sunlight peaked through the windows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still reading this, thank you so much. Please leave a review on what you think, it means a lot! I do know that they have a very flirty relationship for "just friends," I suppose I was too inspired by the photo shoots of Jareth and Sarah that David and Jennifer did for the film.


	6. Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: Hey soooo I've realized that there may be som inconsistency. In chapter 2, Sarah's birthday is implied to be in the fall and that's by accident. I want it to be in Mid December, same as Jennifer Connelly's. This chapter and the next chapter when she's 21 will take place only a few weeks apart as this one takes place early December and the next one New Year's Eve. So there's a sneak peak and I'm sorry about the inconsistency lol.

"Sarah, what's wrong?" Jackie asked her cautiously, knocking on her bedroom door. She rolled her eyes and knocked even louder. "Hey, you need to eat! You haven't been out for a long time and I'm getting worried!"

Jackie wasn't just Sarah's friend, they had been roommates since last year, both their first years at UCLA. It was great to have a roommate and especially in Los Angeles. Jackie went to a community college though so she was a year older than Sarah and studied chemistry to be a forensic scientist. Sarah herself had chosen to be a civil engineer with a minor in architect. Though she loved art and music, it wasn't something she wanted to do for a full time job. Being artistic helped her to plan beautiful designs and to use her creative mind to problem solve. She and Jackie were a good fit as Sarah had to take a lot of chemistry and math classes that they helped each other with.

Jackie tied her long, dark curly hair into a bun and took out a bobby pin. "Alright, that's it! I'm picking the lock if you're not opening it!"

Before she could even stick the pin in, the door opened to reveal a very depressed looking Sarah. Her face was all puffy and red, her eyes swollen from tears and Jackie could see that her trash can had a lot of tissues in it.

"Girl, what happened?" Jackie exclaimed. "You look terrible!"

"Thanks." Sarah snorted. "Just the very thing to make me feel better."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "I mean it. You need some food, do you want me to bring the tacos to you or do you want to come out and eat it out here?"

Sarah gave a half hearted shrug. "Eh, whatever works. I suppose it'll be easier to just eat it out there. That way the ants don't come in."

They are their dinner in silence, Jackie giving Sarah some time to eat in peace and in dignity. When they were done though, she wasn't going to let her go. "Sarah, what's wrong?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and huffed. "It's Hank. We broke up right after my last final."

"Oh?" Jackie looked taken aback. "And why are you upset at that?"

Sarah glared.

Jackie threw her hands up in the air. "Sorry I know that was kind of insensitive but you've wanted to break up with him for a little bit now! Girl, give me a break. I just got done with my last final this morning so my brain is fried and the filter is gone. And plus you say even more blunt things to me."

She reached over to hold Sarah's hand. "Look. I really am sorry but Hank was a piece of shit. He'd brag about you all the time and only really paid attention when you guys would bang. I expect you to feel not great of course, no break up is good but you look like the love of your life dumped you and set your house on fire. What's wrong? If you want, I can go to a counselor with you. Why did you tell me before that you broke up?"

Sarah shook her head, but squeezed her hand to show that she accepted Jackie's apology. "No, I appreciate the sentiment though, that's really kind of you. I didn't want to disturb you during finals. I mean, I didn't want to be disturbed during finals."

"That is nice of you." Jackie gave a small smile. "I had a physical chemistry exam and I wanted to die. But enough about me, tell me what happened if you want."

Sarah got some water and drowned it down, not realizing how dehydrated she was. "It's not really about Hank. Hank is more, more of a symptom than the cause. It's just that I can't quite keep a boyfriend and I don't know why. The good guys I date find me too weird and can't handle me when I get sad, you know I'm really sensitive to things and while I don't go overboard, it freaks them out that I feel everything strongly. Or, I date horrific men like Hank."

"And Blake. Don't forget him." Jackie mumbled.

Ah yes, Blake. He seemed alright at first, romantic and sweet but then he had ideas about how women should be, and an engineer wasn't one of them. He also proved to be racist, calling Jackie some racial slurs (as Jackie was black) and Sarah nearly slapped his face and dumped him right then and there.

"Ugh, he was the worst!" Sarah yelled. "Mostly because he was so deceiving for so long. I dated him for six months man."

She went to the medicine cabinet and popped in some Tylenol in her mouth from the large headache she was getting. "I tried to, ya know, have some fun and have one night stands. In fact, it made me feel excited and adventurous and it was what I needed at the time. That's fun of course but it's not what I want in the end."

Jackie raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, I know why. This has to do with Jareth."

Sarah blinked and started to walk away. "I'm not having this conversation."

Jackie was quick, standing right in front of her. "Girl, I've seen it for a while and I haven't said anything but I need to now. You're killing yourself and are trying to find him in other men but are failing. It's not fair to you or Jareth to not let these feelings become clear when he's a single man."

She and Jareth stopped having weekly tea which turned into monthly meetings instead. She chatted with her three friends more often, but still not that much. As she and Jareth were exploring Los Angeles, they ran into Jackie so they explained that he was a friend of hers and decided to say that he was a business and political science major, doing social work with children. Jareth had met Jackie a few times after that, and she could see the intense attraction and affection between the two immediately but didn't say anything. She had no idea that they met monthly or of his true nature.

"Look." Jackie sighed. "It's also not fair to the men you're dating either. They want a relationship and you're more or less deceiving to them even if not on purpose. At least see if it'll work between you two. Jareth’s a little older yeah but he doesn't look that much older than you, maybe a few years or so."

Sarah scoffed. A little older? Try a few centuries. She wished that she could rant about Jareth being a king but she couldn't. "I can't. Jareth and I, I can't ruin this friendship with him. Our lifestyles are so different and then add in long distance. That sucks."

Only the long distance part was a lie, really. He could poof to see her whenever he wanted.

"Imagine going through the rest of your life never trying and regretting, is that what you want?" Jackie yelled. "You can't move on because you feel regret towards him. If you can get over him, you gotta be honest and clear the air with him first. Please, Sarah. My own mother was tormented for years because of regret and even though she has now moved on, it ate away for years."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I'll think about it. Leave me alone."

She locked herself back into her room and Jackie hurled a pillow at her door, frustrated. "Damn it, Williams! I love you but you are the most stubborn person I've ever met!"

* * *

Before she went home for the holidays, Sarah decided to spend a week Underground, telling her parents that she was having some fun with friends and they were all delighted that she would be having fun and not so much of a loner. Except Toby, who begged her to come home to see him more often, but then she promised him in return he'd get to see her during his spring break. He was happy at that.

She hadn't yet mastered transporting without portals, as that was very difficult to do and she had less time to practice magic. So portals it was.

She arrived directly into the throne room where Jareth was lounging, suitcase in her hand. She looked around and smirked at the goblins running amok, annoying their king.

Jareth lazily flicked his hand, grinning at her. "Goblins! Lady Sarah is here and I require privacy with her, so don't follow us."

"Yes Kingy!" They squealed. Anything to do with Sarah, they immediately obeyed his commands.

Jareth got up and held his hand out. "It's good to see you, Sarah." He kissed the back of her hand. "It's been a while. You sure you're alright with spending the week here?"

Sarah placed her hand in the crook of his elbow as he lead her to the room that she was to stay in. "I'm more than okay! I can't wait to spend the nights here for the first time and spend time with all my friends and you. I'm sorry about being so busy."

Jareth beamed. "No worries, it happens, dear. I've also been busy, planning this ball. I don't really like them anymore."

Every once in a while, when the stars aligned right, there would be a Yule Ball. The Goblin Kingdom was supposed to host it this year and Jareth hated these conventions now.

When he was younger, before Sarah, he would be delighted in the men and women he could have fun with. And yet, though he had no regrets, he always felt empty when they left. Some people could have fun like that but for him, he wanted something more. So he stopped. He stopped probably years before he met Sarah. Now, balls were a place where he'd be force to make polite talk with people he despised or annoyed with. At least when he could meet friends, it was a nice occasion to doll up for. And now, Sarah would be going with him as the Labyrinth Champion and as his most honored guest.

As for Sarah, she was excited about a real ball, though nervous. She didn't really have to worry, Jareth told her that as a human, she wouldn't be expected to know anyone or to do anything except to just be polite. She was flattered to be his guest, though she wished that she could've been his date instead. The thought of dancing with anyone but him didn't sit too well with her nor seeing him dance with other woman just as he did in her peach dream.

They arrived at a room and Jareth began to explain a little of it to her.

"As my honored guest and my best friend," he winked at her. "You get the best room in the castle aside from mine. It used to be the queen's suite, but now I've made it the Champion's suite for you. It hasn't been used in ages, since my mother passed away."

Sarah gasped in surprise. "Queen's suite? But Jareth, yours is the King's suite and it's on the other side of the castle! Why is the queen's room so far from the king's? And wouldn't the couple share a room?" The very idea of a wife sleeping in a room so far from her husband was all kinds of wrong for Sarah. At least they should be nearby.

Jareth shook his head sadly. "My parents didn't get along. I've never told you in great detail, but my father disliked my mother. No woman could live up to his first wife, and while I understand that, he was cruel to my mother and refused to let her even sleep by his side after… well… after sex and they were only intimate to have a child."

He swallowed hard. "It's why he loathes me and her death made him guilty. As you know, she died in a tragic accident. She was hit by some strong magic and it killed her. She lived a sad life and married him because she was so young and was offered riches and comfort. She did have those things of course. But I think she wanted love more. It was only because I was born that she stayed with him. My father and his oldest, my half sister, will come to the ball. You know of my sister, Ingrid, that she gave up her birthright to be the Goblin Queen and passed it to me for a much more respected kingdom when she married her loathsome husband. I'm not looking forward to having to speak with them and pretend that I'm happy they're here after making my life hell for so long."

Sarah reached over, conjuring a handkerchief to dry the tears in his eyes before hugging him. "Oh, Jareth. I'm so sorry, my god I never knew how hard your life was. Forgive me, but it isn't fair! Not at all. You did NOTHING to deserve their hatred. You are an innocent."

She placed her hand on his cheek, and he looked to the side in shame. "Jareth." She whispered. "You deserved to be loved. Don't feel guilty that your mother didn't get that same love, she'd be happy to know that you're doing better than she was. You have friends now, you are experiencing love that way. And you have me. I won't ever leave your side and I promise our friendship forever."

It killed her to say that, to say the word friendship when she wanted more. But no matter how much her heart ached for him, she would always put him first. She would never terminate their friendship, no matter how much it hurt to have him so close but so far. Because no matter how much it hurt now, to lose him would be much worse.

Jareth held her a little tighter, knowing that every word she said was true. She did love him, the kind of friendship love. Even though he wanted more, he would be forever happy to have her like this. And, he would have no one else. When it would be time to pass his throne along, he'd adopt someone.

"Thank you, Precious." He rested his cheek on her forehead. "You've helped me so much these last few years. How lucky I am to have a brazen friend ask me when she was 15 if I was lonely and needed a friend."

Sarah blushed. "Only for you, Jareth." And she meant it.

He smiled at her again. "Let's go into your room, shall we?"

They walked in, and Sarah was awed at the beauty of it. He made it modern style, with a king sized bed and beautiful curtains. She walked into the bathroom to see a lovely rain shower and a marbled bathtub. She also had a couch with a nice table as well as all the amenities she needed like hair brushes and such. It was simple but cozy and big for sure. Well, simple except for the glitter on the walls.

"If you don't like the glitter, I can get rid of it." Jareth said shyly. It was his thing, but he was still unsure if it was hers.

Sarah grabbed his hand and kissed his cheek, squealing. "Don't be silly, it adds character!"

He blushed profusely (a rare sight for the King of the Goblins), squeezing her hand. "I wish I could stay longer, but I must greet my subjects and get the ball ready. As you know, it's on the last day that you're here. Take this time to see your friends and explore the castle. I'd like it if we can have dinner together though, and your friends are all invited. I'm only a wish away if you need me."

He kissed her hand. "Oh! I almost forgot. Here is the official invitation to the Yule Ball. I must go, I'll see you at dinner."

When he left, Sarah plopped herself on the large bed and read through the invitation. It was a cream colored card with golden calligraphy, glitter specks all over it.

_His Majesty, King Jareth of Goblins, hereby invites Lady Sarah Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth, to attend the Yule Ball as his most honored guest. The ball will take place on December 13th of this year at the Castle Beyond the Goblin City in the Crystal Ballroom._

"Most honored guest?" Sarah felt her heart flutter. "Oh, Jareth..."

* * *

Throughout that whole week, Sarah got to really explore the Goblin Kingdom a lot more than she had before. She spent quality time with her friends and even bought all the Christmas presents for everyone from Underground. Apparently it was tradition to exchange gifts at the Yule Ball when there was one instead of Christmas presents so she made sure to hurry and shop for everyone.

The only thing she wasn't happy about was Jareth. She knew he was busy but she hardly saw him except at dinner and even then he excused himself early to get everything ready. She couldn't complain but it still made her sad as he was the one she wanted to be with the most. She was even more disappointed to learn that he would not be able to help her with her hair and make up as he did during her prom. Oh well.

She had just gotten out of a bath when she head a knock on her door. Wrapping herself in a fluffy white bathrobe, she opened it.

Leaning against the doorway was Jareth. It took her all she could to not gulp at the sight of him, his hair gorgeous and he only had his white shirt on, without the corset. He had on black breeches and knee high boots, arms folded and he was biting his bottom lip at the sight of her.

"Oh! Hi Jareth." Sarah blushed, very much aware of her own state of undress. "I thought you were getting ready?"

Jareth tried so very hard to not smirk at her obvious attraction to him, and sobered quickly as he reminded himself that while she was attracted to him, it didn't mean she had any real feelings for him. After all, many were attracted to him but it didn't mean they felt any romantic affections. The way her hair was still wet and tangled from the bath, her cute blush, and her shy smile made his heart beat faster.

"I'm going to, don't worry." He said as smoothly as he could. "I just wanted to give you something before Lydia got you dressed and did your make up."

Lydia was one of his employees. She was a young elf when Jareth found her, only the equivalent to three years old. She was an orphan that was wished away and he made sure she was raised by an elven couple who adopted her as their own. She eventually found her way to the castle as an employee and Jareth hired her as an usher for when he had guests, doing things like making their rooms or giving them a tour of the castle. They bonded as good friends (after Sarah encouraged Jareth to actually get friends) and Jareth even introduced her to her current fiancé. Sarah also took a great liking to Lydia, both girls had many similarities and it was nice to have a female friend Underground. She also had a knack for fashion, though not as good as Jareth.

No one was as good as Jareth when it came to fashion.

"I love Lydia!" Sarah beamed. "I'm so glad she's coming to help me. There's no way I can do everything myself. And I still don't know what my dress looks like." She gave Jareth a pointed look.

As this was an important and formal occasion, Jareth has decided that he would provide Sarah with the dress, something she was excited but nervous about since he refused to let her see it, wanting to surprise her, he said. Still, she didn't mind as he had such a good taste in fashion.

Jareth rested an arm on the door frame, his pendant glinting in the light. "You'll see in a moment. Patience is a virtue, my dear."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Oh! I wanted to ask, um, is it okay if I wear your mother's necklace tonight? The one you gave me for prom? It's the nicest necklace I have and I wanted to make sure that it fit well with my dress."

She wrung her hands nervously, knowing that if someone recognized the necklace as his mother's, it would insinuate that they were a couple. By phrasing it as a style question, she avoided asking him directly what the nature of their relationship was.

Jareth stroked his chin, contemplating her question. It wasn't that he was going to say no to her, far from it in fact. He wanted nothing more than to have her wear his mother's necklace with pride. He didn't care who saw it as he wanted Sarah to be his. He only wondered if she had a hidden meaning in that question, if she wanted to be branded as his in a subtle way and not just about fashion. He didn't want her to mark herself as his if she didn't want it. And still, he was too scared to ask her outright.

He chose his next words very carefully.

"You would look stunning, Sarah. I'm flattered that you want to wear Mother's favorite necklace and it would pair well with your dress."

His voice got softer. His eyes got more intense and he leaned in just a tad closer. "Are you absolutely sure though, that you want to wear it? A precious necklace like that sends a message, you know."

Sarah felt a flutter of uncertainty build in her, swallowing a little. She almost said no, to forget about her stupid question. But the look in his eyes wasn't discouraging her. In fact, it was almost challenging her to do it. Almost daring her to and hoping she would but he wouldn't say anything bad if she said no.

She stood a little taller, and met him as his equal. "Yes, Jareth, I'm sure. Thank you again for giving me such a wonderful gift and tonight, I will wear it in Queen Eleanor's honor and with pride."

Emotion welled up in his eyes when she mentioned his mother. Once again, he wished she could meet Sarah. He gave her a curt nod and stepped even closer. "I appreciate that, Sarah. I'm glad you understand the significance of wearing that particular piece of jewelry as she wore that a lot in life."

Sarah tilted her head up. "Indeed I do, Goblin King."

Their faces were so close, just one small move and their lips would have been touching. Sarah felt his breath on her lips, her own eyes drooping down modestly, struggling to not faint...

"Your Majesty? Lady Sarah?"

Both snapped back right away, facing an elven girl with tan skin, small and sharp eyes (Sarah thought her face reminded her of Asian features), her dark black hair cascading down her back in a braid. She was dressed in a light blue dress, holding some supplies in her arms for hair and make up.

Lydia shrank back a little now that she looked a little closer at them. "Oh, should I come back later?"

Jareth wanted to yell " _YES I WANT YOU TO LEAVE_ " but decided against it. He waved to beckon for her to come closer. "No, no need. I was about to leave anyway."

Sarah's heart sank a little at that comment. She tiptoed a little, finding courage. "Jareth, didn't you say you have something to give me?"

Damn. Jareth wanted to kick himself. He gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, knowing this moment was gone but that it would come back later. Or so he hoped. "Yes I do. I'll make sure to give it to you after we are both ready. I'll see you then, alright?"

He took her hand and kissed it, hoping she'd understand and would be looking forward to him as well.

Sarah gave a nod, not wanting to sigh in resignation. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Pleased with her answer, Jareth turned to Lydia. "And how are you, my dear? You're practically glowing! How is the wedding plan coming along? How is Daniel?"

Lydia dropped to another curtesy and beamed. "Thanks to you, sire, I am as happy as can be. Thank you for giving us venue ideas. It's been helping a lot. And of course, for introducing me to him."

Sarah clasped her hands together in excitement. "Oh, I'm so happy for you two! You guys are such a sweet couple and are a good match!"

Lydia looked as if she was in a happy daze. "Yes, we sure are. I will be giving you a formal invitation whenever it's ready!"

She turned to Jareth. "Your Majesty, might I ask for a favor? It would mean a lot to Daniel and I if you could please officiate our ceremony."

Jareth placed a hand on his heart, deeply touched. "Why, Lydia, I am touched and it would be an honor to join two people together in the holiest of rights in love. Yes, of course I will."

Lydia struggled to not trip when she curtsied; she was so excited. "Thank you, Sire. I will inform Daniel and we will present you with the details at another time."

"I look forward to it." He replied. "Well, I must be going. Lydia, make sure to take care of Sarah and give her a snack after you're done dressing her. Give her anything she wants or needs, I can't have my most honored guest starve at the Yule Ball." He winked at the two ladies.

"Will do, Sire!"

Sarah felt her hair go up in a large and braided bun, reminding her of Princess Leia. She painted Sarah's lips a neutral color and gave her eyes a silver eye shadow, bringing out the bright green eyes. They chatted about Lydia's upcoming wedding and gossip about the higher ranking guests at the ball.

"I think it's so nice that King Jareth invited everyone, even the goblins, to come and have some fun! Most monarchs don't do that." Lydia said as she braided Sarah's hair. "He made his kingdom more equal for all his subjects after his father retired. Normally, not even I would be allowed at the ball."

Sarah felt the sort of pride that a girlfriend would feel when someone complimented her boyfriend. Except Jareth wasn't her boyfriend. Sigh.

She blushed at the thought of him and how sweet he was. He could be an ass at times and cruel to people, but he never intentionally hurt anyone. And he had grown so much since they first met. "He's amazing, isn't he Lydia?" Her eyes went all dreamy thinking of him.

Lydia pursed her lips together. "Lady Sarah, might I be frank?" She sat the hairbrush down and sat next to Sarah, forcing the human girl to look into her eyes.

Sarah was taken aback. Did Lydia realize her feelings for Jareth? Would she confirm her fears and tell her that she wasn't good enough for him? Still, her opinion meant so much to her. "Lydia, yes you can say anything."

Lydia took Sarah's hands in hers to show comfort. "My dear friend, why do you not take a chance with the king? He is very fond of you, and I know you're fond of him. Why don't you court him?"

Hoggle and Jackie had tried to talk to her about it before, and Sarah wasn't too fond of someone else trying to talk to her about it. She pulled her hands from Lydia's and looked away. "Lydia, no. It's not going to work."

"Well why not?" She almost demanded Sarah. "All my life, I have known His Majesty and he has always been a just, yet sometimes lonely and hard king. He was a mystery, and though he still is, you brought in a light in his eyes that I've never seen. When I've assisted him in certain assignments, he used to never talk to me much except to ask me about my own life. Now, he talks about your latest letter or how you two had tea and what LA is like. Or how you helped soothe a crying baby and play with a child that was wished away. He is so affectionate with you, the way he teases and smiles at you. He treasures you."

Sarah just melted at the thought of him talking about her. She knew he treasured her as Lydia said. But she had to be wrong.

"No." Sarah said firmly. "He and I are close, and I did help him break out of his shell. But don't say that he has feelings for me. I can't possibly be his match."

Lydia was about to protest but she saw tears forming in Sarah's eyes. She knew from her own experience with Daniel that egging her on would only hurt her and push her away from Jareth even more.

"Alright." She relented. "But one more thing. Please don't be scared to take a chance at love. Regret is much worse. I know, because Daniel and I had issues too where we were scared to be together. Of course the nature of our relationship is different from yours and His Majesty's, but you only have one life to live. Promise me that you'll at least think about my words, please."

Sarah closed her eyes and willed the tears away. The very thought of talking to Jareth and changing their relationship scared her. It would be one thing if he initiated contact but for her to do it? She would be crushed at a rejection.

She opened her eyes and gave a half hearted shrug. "I promise I'll ponder your words, Lydia."

The elven girl wasn't too convinced but at least she had planted the thought in Sarah's head. She just needed to wait for it to blossom. "Thank you, Lady Sarah."

Sarah rolled her eyes and smiled good naturedly. "Oh you. Why don't you just call me Sarah? We are good friends and are alone!"

Ludo snorted and went to fetch Sarah's dress. "I've told you, it's habit. Sorry, Sarah."

Sarah had a title as she was Jareth's equal. She was allowed to call him by name in front of his staff as she wasn't his subject. At the ball though, she would have to defer him as His Majesty or King Jareth when talking about him to others though he didn't mind if she just called him Jareth when speaking directly to him in casual conversation. Lydia was a staff of his who had no title though sometimes, to be polite, Jareth would refer to her as a Lady.

Lydia called Sarah by her title because it also helped people to respect her more. She was already known as his Champion but was seen as a lower race. They didn't hate humans, but they sort of saw them the way humans saw dogs. Adorable, short lived, annoying, and of lower abilities and intelligence. Plus, Lydia had a feeling that Sarah wasn't just destined to be champion, but to be a queen.

Her future Goblin Queen.

"Whatever." Sarah teased. "I can't wait to see the dress!"

Lydia brought the dress out of its bag and both girls gasped and squealed at its beauty. It was a cream colored dress with golden edges, delicate green leaves and red roses in the details. The neckline was high and the sleeves were long, perfect for a winters ball and not to mention how it reminded Sarah of medieval styles. There was a matching cape along with it as well. It was very modest and Sarah couldn't wait.

"It's beautiful." Sarah ran her hand across the fabric. "I can't believe I get to wear this."

"You are the most honored guest." Lydia pointed out. "And he picked a very fine gown for you! Oh, Sarah! You'll be the belle of the ball!"

Sarah blushed. "No way. Not any ordinary human like me." She stepped into the dress, Lydia lacing it up for her. Thank god it didn't come with a corset. She told Jareth she refused corsets and he didn't argue with her.

"Nonsense." Lydia dismissed the thought. "You are far from ordinary. You defeated the goblin king and bested his labyrinth. You made him more open. No one has been able to do that, ever."

She finished lacing it up. "There! Not too tight and not too loose. Any jewelry you want to wear?"

Sarah handed her the ruby necklace, and Lydia blinked at it.

"What?" Sarah asked her. Did Lydia know of the significance of this necklace?

"Sarah, this is a ruby necklace. Most are already expensive, but this one is from Underground. You're not one for jewelry, and it has stardust in it."

"Wait, what?" Sarah blinked. She had worn the necklace at prom and a few times to lunch with Jareth as she knew he liked seeing his mother's necklace being worn instead of holed up in a museum.

"Not real stardust, just some impurities from meteorites. Look. See the specks of white dust? Those are from the meteorites that fall. Normally, only people of high ranks and royalties get these commissioned to them."

She had no idea of any of this. She supposed that Jareth never told her because she never wore them Underground as she never had a reason to dress up that fancy down here. That made the fact that he wanted her to wear it at the ball tonight made even more sense. Dare she hope that he truly had feelings for her?

Lydia could see Sarah squirming uncomfortably so she dropped it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. And I am not accusing you of stealing it, don't worry! Sometimes I speak my own mind and am too curious for my own good."

She clasped it on Sarah, and the red stone matched well with the flowers on her dress. "You look stunning! The necklace was made for you!"

"Thank you, Jareth said the same thing." Sarah blushed. Before she knew it, the words left her mouth. "It belonged to his mother."

"WHAT?" Lydia's eyes bulged out in surprise. "My god, Sarah!"

The elf made an exasperated noise. "How dense are you? He GAVE YOU HIS MOTHER'S NECKLACE and you still don't think he has feelings for you? Are you blind? What's next, he'll be kissing you and you'll STILL wonder if he likes you as just a friend!"

The rational part of Sarah knew her friend was absolutely right. But that part was beaten by her insecurities and fears, which responded with "Lydia, I said jus drop it! Please." She added.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Fine. Anyway, you look great and I'll make sure a plate of cheese and crackers are sent for snacks before you meet with His Majesty. I have to go get ready myself."

Sarah took Lydia's hand. "I mean when I say I'm grateful. I truly am. It was fun getting ready with you."

Lydia softened. "Anytime Sarah. Anytime."

* * *

Lydia lied when she said was going to get dressed. It wasn't going to take her very long to do so and she didn't need to leave that early. She couldn't tell Sarah where she was going or else she'd be furious.

However, her own feelings of anger outweighed Sarah's potential anger. She couldn't let Jareth get away with this.

She walked straight to the King's study room, nearly smashing the door with her knocks when he opened it for her, a confused look on his face. He was dressed already, looking fancy and just had been getting a few last minute things done before meeting with Sarah.

"Lydia? Whatever is the matter?"

She looked into his office and barged in, wanting complete privacy for what she was going to say to him. She closed the door and looked into his absolute bewildered face. She had never acted this way towards him before. He had known her to be angry but he never saw it directed at him before.

She folded her arms and glared at him. "Sire, it's about Sarah."

Jareth panicked. "What happened? Is she alright?"

Lydia put a hand up to stop him. "She is fine, or at least as fine as she can be while being completely dense about you."

The king made a face, still confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Lydia stood up a little taller. "I mean that you're both, if I may be frank, are stupid, because you love each other and refuse to even entertain the possibility of being together!"

Confusion left Jareth's face. The angles of his face got sharper and harder, his blue eyes looked as if he would burn Lydia to the ground. The elven girl refused to back down, staring at him back with equal intensity. She could see the specs of fear in his eyes for having her speak so frankly, and that fueled her to fight this cruel and dramatic version of her king.

"How dare you speak to me in such a way?" He seethed. "You dare walk into my office, spitting out words and scenarios you do not understand? Have YOU, Dear Lydia, entertained the possibility that maybe Sarah isn't as dense as you say, but truly doesn't love me or hold any affection for me? Hmm? Not everyone is so endowed with love as you and Daniel have been. Don't try to force it on anyone else."

He turned, walking away but Lydia just ran in front of him to face him.

"You said nothing about yourself." She pointed out, her brown eyes staring into his heart. "You never said you _didn't_ love her."

Before Jareth could respond, Lydia blurted something else out. "Don't lie, I know you do. You gave her Queen Eleanor's necklace."

Jareth snapped his head to her, eyes aflame. "How do you know of this?" He demanded her. She was born years after his mother's death and wouldn't have recognized it.

"You asked me to help her get ready, did you not? I saw the necklace, I saw that it was made by elven hands and the stardust in them that is not on humans and I asked her where she got it from and she told me."

Jareth cursed. He turned, facing the window, avoiding her eyes.

Lydia's voice got softer. "It's eating you both from the inside out and I just want you to be happy. We all do. You've given us so much happiness and so has she. No one gives you more happiness than Sarah and no one gives her more happiness than her. The way her eyes linger a little longer after you've left, the way she adores and cherishes you is a special thing. And you do too. Your subjects have all the differences in you since she came into your life."

You could hear a pin drop in that room after Lydia stopped speaking. Jareth's breathing was slow and even, though there were tremors. Not a muscle in his body twitched.

"Sire?" Lydia squeaked out. Silence and Jareth wasn't a good thing when he was angry. Ever.

He turned to face her, his face still hard and Lydia was horrified at the pure fury in them. So this was the tales of the goblin king she had been taught to fear for so long as a young employee, to never egg him on into fury.

He stepped a bit closer to her, and Lydia couldn't help but shrink back.

"You insolent girl." He snarled. "You have no right to come in and give me this false hope, to accuse me of being foolish. I do what I need to do. I keep this kingdom alive when my predecessors all failed. I am the keeper of the realms between the Under and Abovegrounds, a sacred duty. I take away wished away children like yourself and give them good homes instead of forcing them to be servants and slaves. Or raise them to be a part of a disgusting harem like my father did."

His voice rose to a shrill now. "I was never to inherit this kingdom, this land, but THANK GOD I did! And now, I will not give it up unless there is a good successor. I cannot give it up for any woman or ask her to give up her own comfortable life to deal with the atrocities I face or the loneliness that accompanies it. Should Sarah choose to be with me, she gives her up life Above. She can see her family of course, but she will not have the life of freedom that she had there. She will not get to see her world expand or actually grow old. To become immortal will be painful and involve prejudices as you well know. She will stay young forever as her family dies out. It's not some fairy tale as humans believe! A trade for a trade. Immortality and then what? You get to live forever but is it worth it? To be with an ornery king who is starved for love and affection because he had only a sliver of it from his mother as a child? Is that the fate you want to subject Sarah to, huh?"

Lydia started to cry, her eyes welling up with tears. Nothing was more painful or heartbreaking than to hear the once stoic king share the deepest fears of his heart. All she wanted was for him and Sarah to be happy together.

"What of the alternative?" Lydia whispered. "What of seeing HER grow old while you stay young? What of seeing her marry some strange human man and living an ordinary human life?"

"Then I will walk her down the damn isle myself if she asked of me." Jareth gritted his teeth. "As you've said, I love her. I will do what makes her happy. I will be the goddamn fairy god father for her children for centuries to come."

"Then, Sire, don't you think it is unfair to not give her the choice to choose her fate? She has known you long enough to be comfortable and to love it down there. She has grown to love you too, I can see. Stop protecting her like that and let her make that choice. You can still live happy lives."

That was risky enough, but for some reason, Lydia couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Or, are you afraid of rejection? I can tell you that regret is far worse than rejection. And you will live with regret for the rest of your long life, because we both know you won't have any other woman than her."

Jareth turned back to the window, hands clasped behind him and his cape billowing from the movement. "Get out."

Lydia sighed. "Please, at least consider my words, Sire."

Jareth whipped around, tears in his eyes. "I SAID GET OUT! Are you deaf? That is an order!"

He snarled. "The only reason I'm not throwing you into an oubliette and still letting you go to the Yule Ball is because you are a long time favorite of mine and this was your first transgression. Get out before I change my mind."

Lydia's eyes narrowed, but she left, afraid of his wrath. But before she left, she left her hand linger on the door handle.

"No, the reason you are letting me go is because you know I'm right and you feel guilt."

She quickly left before a crystal was thrown at her, turning into a snake.

* * *

Jareth was absolutely fuming when Lydia left. She was right. Every single damn word. But he still felt justified in his actions. Not that he'd tell her.

He genuinely felt bad for screaming at her, but he was too stubborn to apologize. Maybe at a later time. For now, he needed to calm the hell down before he picked Sarah from her room.

He spent a little bit crying, letting out all his fears and frustrations. He felt quite a bit better after that, and with a swish of his cape, he went to pick up his most honored guest.

He knocked on the door, adrenaline coursing through his veins from yelling at Lydia and from anticipating being close to Sarah. He couldn't wait to be with her, and he wasn't going to let anything spoil this night with her, even though he was really not looking to hosting it.

He was not disappointed with the sight greeted by him. There she was, in all her glory, an angel on earth. She looked better than he had imagined, which was saying something.

"Hello, Jareth." She greeted, dropping into a curtesy. Her eyes sparkled at him. "Wow, I love your outfit!"

Jareth had on a long cream colored coat, the same shade as her dress. It was less subtle than the glitterfied outfit he wore in her peach dream, just specks of sparkles everywhere. It was like his version of a white tuxedo top. Inside his pocket was a red rose. He wore black pants with a stripe on the side, tucked inside a pair of shiny black boots. He painted his lips with peach flavored lip gloss and his eyes a golden color instead of his usual purple/grey combination. He had on gloves, as he often did for formal occasions or for when he had to pick up a wished away child.

It didn't escape Sarah's observation that there were enough similarities to her own outfit to match, from the rose to the cream colored suit jacket. However, it was different enough that it wasn't so obvious.

Jareth perked up at the compliment. "Why thank you, Precious. I do try to dress up nicely. You yourself look very beautiful."

Sarah blushed. "All thanks to you. I love the dress so much! And the shoes too! I feel like Cinderella with these glass slippers."

"Crystal, actually." Jareth told her, a knowing grin on his face. "And like Cinderella's, they won't disappear by midnight."

What he didn't tell her was that they were made of crystals that were formed by his own hand. He had a blacksmith use them to shape into shoes for her. He wanted her to wear something made by his own hand.

"They're quite comfortable for shoes of made of glass." Sarah swished her dress around, spinning and hearing her shoes click on the ground.

"Crystal." Jareth corrected her.

"Same thing." Sarah grinned.

"Crystal." He loomed over her, a jokingly annoyed look on his face. "You stubborn thing."

"You mess up Hoggle's name, you hypocrite!"

"So?"

"I'm done with this conversation." Sarah laughed, her voice like clear bells on a sunny day.

Jareth grinned and formed a crystal in his hand. "Here, this was the gift that I was going to gift you before Lydia interrupted us."

It turned into a rose. It wasn't a real rose, but made of felt with gilded glitter edges on it. Sarah was a crafty person, and he had learned how to make it with her once. He did such a good job that it looked professionally done.

Lifting it up, he fastened it onto her hair, loving how it gleamed in the soft light. It really was the perfect addition.

"It's so lovely." Sarah touched the soft flower. "You're so kind to make all of this for me. I can't thank you enough. I feel like I should get you more presents!"

Jareth waved away. "No need, Precious. You've given me many gifts in the past, not that it matters because I give gifts because I want to, not out of obligation or expecting them back."

He offered his arm to her. "Shall we?"

They walked, arm in arm to the top of the grand staircase. As his most honored guest, Sarah would walk in with him and accompany him as he formally opened the ball. It was exciting and frightening.

"Sarah?" Jareth asked, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. "Will you give me the honor of sharing the first dance with me?"

Sarah's heart almost jumped out of her chest. She wanted nothing more than that. "Oh, Jareth, I would love to."

He couldn't stop smiling.

Sarah felt a flutter of pain though. She remembered her peach dream and how he danced with nearly every woman before he reached her. In fact, when he was sandwiched between two beautifully endowed woman when he danced with her. All these years, and she still had not been able to ask him what that was all about.

She shook her head of these thoughts as the large wooden doors opened, letting the king and his champion walk together to greet the subjects of the goblin kingdom and dignitaries from other kingdoms.

The moment the doors opened wide enough for people to see who it was, they all bowed or curtsied to the king. Sarah saw Lydia and Daniel who were arm in arm. She instantly went to her side, grateful to see a familiar and friendly face among the sea of beautiful immortals.

"Good to see you both." Sarah greeted them. "This is my first ball here and I'm sort of nervous."

"You'll great." Daniel said warmly. "It isn't our first ball, but it's our first Yule Ball. I think the last one was before His Majesty became king! As you know it depends on the stars and it rotates between kingdoms."

"And you have us." Lydia touched Sarah's arm to reassure her. "We'll make sure to take care of you, don't worry."

Sarah gave Lydia's hand a squeeze of appreciation.

"Good evening everyone." Jareth announced. "Tonight, we celebrate Yuletide in my kingdom for the first time since I have been king. It is an honor to have all of you here tonight for the celebrations of happiness and of friendship. To my subjects, I humbly ask to have the wisdom and grace to rule well. To everyone else, thank you for helping me rule to be the best king as I can be."

His eyes wandered to where Sarah was, warmth spreading in his heart as he looked at her. She was so beautiful, so sweet. Everyone else fades in the background whenever she was in the room.

He looked to her side and saw Lydia. His friend had on a polite and straight face, and Jareth instantly felt regret. He was still angry with her, but he knew the way he acted was unreasonable. He made a mental note to apologize to her later.

He continued his speech, eyes still on Sarah as if he was talking directly to her. "This night, I want to introduce to you my most honored guest, Lady Sarah Williams of the Aboveground, North American continent and the only Champion of my Labyrinth. Many of my subjects have already met her."

People whispered here and there, straining to see the girl that had bested Jareth's labyrinth when no one else had. Sarah felt her cheeks get red, but she stood tall. Since she had faced Jareth at his worst, and she could anything.

Jareth held up a hand to silence them, and they obeyed. "This is her first Yule Ball and I trust that you all will welcome her. Lady Sarah holds a place near and dear to my heart. She embodies much of the things we celebrate here tonight. Forgiveness, kindness, vision, empathy, and most of all, love."

He hung the ceremonial wreath up, using his magic to orchestrate it. "To Yuletide! May we all strive to be better and to love a little more. Let the celebrations begin!"

They all cheered, Jareth walking down the steps to greet his subjects and other guests. Each showing deep respect and the subjects gave him adorations for improving their lives.

Sarah was also swept away from Lydia and Daniel, everyone curious to meet the beautiful young human. Most were kind, asking her questions about her life and if she could do magic. She awed them by forming a few crystals, them not quite believing that a human was doing this.

There was one woman though, who kept on probing Sarah about her relationship with Jareth. She had honey blonde hair and bright grey eyes. She was gorgeous, and something about her made her dislike her immediately. She was just so fake.

"So, how long have you known the king for?" The woman asked. "What are you to him?"

Sarah didn't like this at all. She pursed her lips. "He is my friend, my lady. We've known each other since I've run the labyrinth."

The woman hummed. "So about five or six years? You would've been a child then. I wonder what has happened to Jareth's tastes in women. He used to get the most gorgeous of girls by his side, ah what a player! They all loved him!"

Sarah wanted to slap this girl. She as good as just called her ugly. "Why are you insinuating that I am anything to him but a friend?" She sneered, her green eyes ablaze.

The woman laughed, sipping her champagne. "You're so right, how daft of me. I forgot that he's been withdrawn for years. Something about true love. I suppose I just assume that he's bed every single woman in his vicinity! And they all fall for him but none have stolen his heart yet. Sure he's cared deeply for girls like with a few of, what do you mortals call it? Oh yes, girlfriends. But he's never been in love and I doubt he has the capacity to, being around goblins all the time."

"What do you know about his capacity for love and his tastes in women?" Sarah spat. "He is gentle and kind. Sure, he isn't perfect, but he means every word he said in his speech. I don't think you know him as well as you think you do, ma'am."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Ma'am? You will address me as Your Majesty! I don't know what kind of company Jareth is keeping. And besides, of course I know about his tastes in women. I'm his sister."

Before Sarah could react to the fact that she met Jareth's evil older half sister, she felt a hand around her waist and she was face to face with the palest man she'd ever seen. He had dark black hair swept up, his smile showed his sharp teeth and his eyes were a golden color.

A vampire, she recognized. And a damn handsome one at that.

"Well hello, I'm sorry I've grabbed you so suddenly." He purred. "I just had to rescue you from that awful Queen Ingrid. Always thinking she's better than others."

Sarah wasn't sure how to react to this. On one hand, she was being manhandled by a stranger, which wasn't ever okay, but he also saved her from Queen Ingrid.

"I appreciate it, but please let me go." She told him firmly. When he didn't, she tried to push him. "NOW."

Just then, the music started playing, indicating the first dance.

He just grinned and spun her around so they were swaying to the music, dancing. "Not until the first dance is over."

Before Sarah could conjure a crystal to ram up this creep's butt, she felt him being yanked away from her body. Looking up, she saw Jareth's very angry face looming down at him. If looks could kill, the vampire would be dead ten times over.

"Lord Henry." Jareth growled. "I do not take lightly anyone being touched without their consent, particularly someone so near and dear to me."

Lord Henry pulled himself away from Jareth, massaging his shoulder from where Jareth had squeezed it. "You have no claim over her. I came to dance with her first."

"It's not about a claim." He glared. "She did not give you permission, and I know you. Did you even ask? Lady Sarah is to have the utmost respect as my most honored guest. I have no power over her and if she says no, you better back off. And besides, I had already asked the first dance with her."

He took Sarah's hand, still looking at Henry. "And you should leave. You were not invited as you were fired from being an ambassador. Leave before I report you to your king."

Henry gave Jareth an eye roll. "Whatever you say, Goblin King."

And he disappeared.

Jareth put his arm around Sarah and lead her away from the watching eyes to the wall. "Precious, are you alright? I'm so sorry that happened."

Sarah nodded. "I'm okay, just a little shaken up. I didn't expect that. I almost uses magic against him and I wish I did."

"You're not a very confrontational person." He chuckled. "And that's okay, though I wouldn't mind you doing magic either, he deserved it."

More and more couples were dancing and more and more were watching Jareth and Sarah. It unnerved her, and she knew they were whispering about the nature of their relationship. It all reminded her of the peach dream, all those eyes looking at her curiously, as if waiting for her to fail. She thought about Ingrid's words to her, and she felt sick.

And yet, she had fire in her that wouldn't go out. She wasn't about to let anyone think that she was weak. She had defeated their king, for goodness sakes!

"So." She looked at Jareth. "Are you going to make good on your promises and dance with me?"

Jareth moved his arm so it was wrapped around her waist, his eyes dancing as he took her hand in his, leading them to a space in the dance floor. "You cheeky thing. And as for promises, I always keep them."

They laughed as they danced, Jareth catching her as she spun towards him. Along with magic lessons and the occasional piano, he taught her how to dance too. She was the best dance partner he ever had, the most fun and the easiest to get along with. He lifted her in the air and Sarah didn't care who heard her delighted squeal. She adored the way Jareth smiled at her, happiness clear in his eyes. He looked so carefree, so sweet, so loving.

And it was in that moment that Sarah knew that she loved him.

Oh, she had known it before. But this was the first time she formed the conscious thought "I love Jareth." It terrified her, but also gave her peace because she was being honest with herself. She no longer denied it, but let it fill her very being whether it was smart to or not.

Jareth never wanted to dance with anyone else ever again. He never wanted her to leave his arms. To be here, always seeing her smiling face would grant him the happiness he needed and craved. He loved her.

He loved her.

He had admitted it on a whim to Lydia before, but now it was more careful and certain. The thought terrified Jareth. Lydia was right, it made him scared to think about the possibility of rejection. It wasn't even the fact that Sarah may not love him, but what if she did love him but decided other things were more important like her job and being independent without being criticized for every move you made?

Still, he stopped being in denial. He loved her. With all his heart.

Unfortunately, they were both separated by the crowed before they could say anything to each other. They no idea that the other person had the same thoughts on their mind, that they would rather be back dancing together. Partner after partner, they were all faceless as they were in a daze thinking of dancing with each other.

Sarah started to pay attention when one particular man took notice of her necklace. He had dark brown hair and mismatched eyes, one grey and the other one blue. He had on a smirk that reminded her of Jareth's, but instead of playful and infuriating, it was cruel and degrading.

She looked at his coat of armors and realized that he had on the Goblin Kingdom's. She thought of the portraits she had seen of the past kings and queens, and there was no doubt that this man was Duke Raynard, a past king of the goblins and a past keeper of the realms.

"That is a lovely necklace you have there, Sarah. When did Jareth get it for you? Hmm?" He raises an eyebrow and threw his head back to laugh.

Sarah wasn't having any of this. "You have some nerve not calling him Your Majesty. And I will remind you, I am a Lady and will be grated as such."

"You are a feisty one. Good." He spun her around. "I like feisty ones, especially humans." He leaned into nuzzle her neck, but Sarah pushed him back.

"Don't get any bright ideas." What was it with people here thinking that they could molest her just because she was human?

"Hmm. Why are you so against me? I'm not bad looking. I have no wife and we could have some fun together. Or are you courting my son, as his mother's necklace has branded you?"

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "We are friends. Do you not think that as a king, he would have no qualms in introducing a lady of his if he had one?" She avoided his hand coming to her waist and instead grasped it in another hand to spin.

Raynard didn't look phased. "Of course I would, that's why I made that comment to you. He is wooing you, just as he woos every girl. Look at him dancing."

Sarah looked over, and Jareth was chafing partners nearly every move, every girl wanting to have a taste of dancing with the king of goblins.

"Like father, like son." Raynard's lips curved into a smile. "You didn't think he'd try to truly be with a human, did you? He's just good at the art."

The dance was over, and the moment it did, Sarah refused to bow. "Your comments, Duke Raynard, are unprecedented and disgusting."

Behind her, she heard a scoff. Couples were seeing her outburst. This wasn't the same as with Lord Henry the Vampire. Henry was handsome but was seen as a nuisance by many. Raynard was attractive and had a commanding presence.

People seemed to close in on her. Suddenly, it was as if she was back in the peach dream, hands all around her and everyone staring. Panic rose in her and she heard sneers and rude remarks, laughter at her expense and she was the target of all of it.

Not far, she heard a clock strike midnight.

She didn't even think as she bolted away.

* * *

Girl after girl, a few men in between, Jareth was bored out of his mind. He wanted to get back to Sarah as soon as he could. He was kind of hungry and he wanted to show her some of the cakes that he was sure she never had before.

He blinked when he found Lydia in his arms. The elf inclined her head respectfully. Oh boy.

He still didn't want to apologize. His pride was still too important to him even if h knew that's what he should do. He looked away from Lydia, his eyes burning in shame and anger from her earlier encounter.

Lydia was happy he was even dancing with her. She knew Jareth long enough that unless it was a diplomatic mistake or something to do with his job as king, he almost never apologized to anyone. He would try to right the wrong but to apologize? Nah.

"I'm sorry, Sire, for the way I handled things today." She said quietly. "I am not sorry for the words I said but how I said them."

Jareth didn't look at her. "I appreciate the apology."

Honestly what did it take for him to say " _I'm sorry too_?"

"I do wish you would take my advice." Lydia retorted.

"Not another word about this." He told her. "Please." He added.

Well, it was an improvement with him saying "please" at least, Lydia thought with amusement. "As you wish, Sire. Will you still officiate my wedding with Daniel?"

Jareth finally looked at Lydia, his face softened. "Of course I will."

Suddenly, they heard a few whispers here and there a commotion was building up. Jareth and Lydia gave each other a look, then they heard what was being said.

"Did you see the human girl? She ran away from Duke Raynard."

"Yes, I think she was, crying?"

"She's such a delicate thing. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for His Majesty to have invited her here and introduce her as his most honored guest. The pressure is too much for her, I know humans don't really do balls anymore unless they're part of the government."

"Pathetic. Can't even handle a ball. You sure she defeated the labyrinth?"

"I heard Queen Ingrid isn't too fond of her, thinking she's a gold digger for King Jareth."

"Maybe she didn't eat? I do get nervous when I don't eat."

Jareth scanned around, and saw his father and his sister. He had a mind to go and demand them why it was that there were whispers of them and Sarah. Just as he was about to march there, Lydia put a hand on his arm.

"Sire, go to her. She needs you." Her eyes pleaded him.

Jareth groaned. He had to be patient, so he gave Lydia a nod of thanks and left.

He used a crystal to find where she was, and he found her, shivering outside, laying in the snow. She was in a sitting position rocking herself back and forth, as if comforting herself.

He didn't hesitate to step into the snow, covering her with his cape. "Sarah, it's okay. I'm here now."

He lifted her up, but she frantically shook her head. "No, I want to be outside. Don't make me go back into the castle, not yet."

The way she shivered and the way her eyes darted back and forth wasn't a good sign. He recognized it as a panic attack. He still wasn't sure what caused it, but this was no time to ask. This was the time to stabilize her first.

"A compromise then." He said softly. "We won't go inside, but I can't have you freeze out here. How about we go into my greenhouse? Will that be alright?"

Sarah nodded, resting her head on his chest, clutching his cape closer to her body for warmth. "Yeah, okay."

He sighed in relief, walking towards his greenhouse. It was best to not transport a patient as much as possible, as it could make them dizzy enough to throw up.

Once inside, Jareth laid her on a comfortable bench, himself summoning some pillows and more blankets to surround her small body. He sat near her, but not touching her so she could have some space. "Some hot cocoa?"

Sarah nodded, a small smile on her face. Hot cocoa was her favorite. "I would love some."

Jareth made sure to add some cinnamon on top, just as she liked it. For himself, a lot of whipped cream.

"Thank you." Sarah took the mug and sipped, the warm chocolate warming her insides. She looked at Jareth and giggled at the sight.

There was a line of whipped cream on his lips, a small white mustache appearing. He looked absolutely adorable.

"What?" He was off guard but hey, if Sarah was laughing and not crying, he didn't care. "Do I have something between my teeth or a twig in my hair?"

"No, but you do have a mustache rival to Santa's." Sarah informed him. "It's so silly."

"Silly?" Jareth made a mocking sound of offense. "I am the scary goblin king. I can't have people think I'm silly!"

He licked the cream off, or as best he could. Now it looked even worse with only some of it off.

Sarah scooted closer to him, still laughing. "Here, let me help you."

She conjured a crystal that turned into a napkin, wiping his upper lip. Oh, how sweet he was being, indulging her. She remembered when he would get annoyed at her doing things like this because it made him feel like a child. But now? Now he just felt pampered and spoiled. And they both loved it.

"There. You look good again." Sarah put the napkin aside and drank more cocoa.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He scoffed teasingly. "I always look good."

Somehow, Sarah didn't disagree.

They sat like that in silence for a bit, just enjoying the companionship the other had to offer. The silence was comfortable as they had spent many moments in silence together. Sometimes, when Sarah was too busy to actually spend time with Jareth, she'd just sit and study while he read a book and did paperwork.

Jareth twitched a little nervously. "I didn't give you my Yuletide gift yet." He twiddled his thumbs in excitement and nervousness.

Sarah blinked, then put a hand on his arm. "oh, no need! You've given me so many gifts. Hell, my entire outfit is from you. I have a gift too, by the way."

Jareth bit his bottom lip, still smiling shyly. "Consider all I've given you your birthday, Yuletide, and Christmas presents then." He handed her a small box with golden wrappings.

Sarah laughed at that. "I hated it when someone gave me a present and told me it was for Christmas and birthday present as a kid. It sucked having a birthday in December, but I don't mind so much now that I'm older."

She opened the box, and she gasped at the beauty of the gift. It was a snow globe, intricately carved from wood on the bottom and two turtle doves inside, huddling together to keep warm.

"Oh, Jareth. This is beautiful." She whispered, shaking upside down so the snow would fall on the two lovebirds.

Did he know? Could he have known that turtle doves meant love Above? Was this just a cute gift he got her, or was there another meaning behind it? She wondered, because her gift had an underlying meaning too.

She flicked her hand, a light blue box in her hand. Jareth gratefully took it, giving her one elated look, and opened the box.

He blinked. She had given him an owl figure. The owl was made of, seashells?

"Did you make this?" He whispered. "It's so lovely."

It looked just like him when he transformed, a barn owl. He turned it and saw seashells of all sizes. It was clear that they had been collected by her own hand, not store bought. Could she have known? Did she know that Underground, seashells were a symbol of love? The ocean extends forever, and large conch shells were used to pour ocean water over a couple's joined hands at a wedding ceremony.

"I did." She scooted even closer to him. "I collected these shells at Malibu with Jackie when I went to the beach a little while back."

Sarah decided to test her theory, wondering what he knew about turtledoves. "Do you know what turtle doves mean in my world? At least in the European traditions?" She traced her fingers all around the sphere.

Jareth never tore his eyes from hers. "Yes, indeed I do, my Precious thing."

Her heart pounded faster, harder.

He was sure now that she caught his hidden meaning. "And you? Do you the meaning of seashells in the fae tradition?"

It was then that Sarah briefly looked away from him. She put her present aside and took the owl sculpture from his hands. Looking back up, she let all her emotions exposed, taking that chance. "Indeed I do, my king."

A little bit of wind came through, which caused the king and his lady to look around. They both stopped breathing for a moment when they realized that right above them, was a little bit of mistletoe.

Daniel or Lydia must've hung it up there, for this was Jareth's personal greenhouse. Not many came in here but him and Sarah and those two. He wasn't sure if he should yell at them or thank them.

"Jareth?" Sarah's voice was small.

He looked back at her with gentle eyes. "Yes, Precious?" He wasn't sure if she ever looked this beautiful before.

Her bottom lip trembled, her mind on autopilot now. "Do mistletoes mean the same thing here as Above?"

He paused for a moment, then a hand came to hold her face. Sarah realized that his gloves were off, and he was brushing her cheek with his thumb. Encouraging him, she placed her hands on his chest, slowly bringing them to his shoulders and neck, interlocking her fingers.

His eyes were bright. But not full of fiery passion that fire holds. This was the soft brightness of a candlelight that fully filled your heart. It was the brightness of the moon that smiles upon you when the night is dark and cold.

His lips were mere millimeters from hers now, his thumb now caressing her lip. Sarah shivered, her nerves on her lips reacting to his touch, struggling to not kiss his thumb right then and there when a better prize was coming up.

"My Sarah." He whispered. "Don't you know that the meaning of mistletoes originated not from humans, but from Underground?"

And there it was. Their eyes closed and their lips finally met, and by the gods, it was the most beautiful kiss ever given.

It was a chaste kiss. They did not probe and taste with their tongues. They did not touch each other in sacred places, but just wrapped their arms in an embrace. Jareth's hand moved down to caress Sarah's collar bone, touching his mother's necklace, another hand reaching her head to touch the felt rose he had placed there earlier. Sarah still had her arms on his neck and pulled him closer, her hands massaging the back of his neck and twirled his long hair in her finger. There was nothing sexual about this kiss, nothing of the sort at all. That would be saved for another time. For now, they just poured in their feelings of hope, of love, of nearly six years of friendship and being close but being so far.

Their lips were made for each other's, it seemed. The way her smaller mouth fit on his was just perfect. Sarah was no innocent and Jareth even less, and this kiss alone, just a simple chaste kiss was by far the best kiss either had ever experienced. They rubbed their noses together, a small giggle in Sarah's throat. Jareth smiled into their kiss and hugged her even closer to him.

"Sire!"

Jareth felt himself and Sarah freeze, himself reluctantly pulling away from her, his arm still around her waist. Sarah couldn't look at him, herself unsure of what would be in his eyes.

Willing himself to not paralyze Daniel where he stood, he turned to him. "What is it?"

Daniel nervously bowed, seeing that he had interrupted an intimate moment between them. "Sire, I apologize. Duke Raynard and Queen Ingrid both have requested your presence. They were very insistent and Lydia is keeping them occupied for now."

Jareth cursed. Of all people, it was his father and sister? As a queen of another nation, he could not ignore Ingrid and as a former king of goblins, Jareth could not ignore Raynard.

He slowly got up, careful to keep the blankets around Sarah. "I have to go. Would you prefer to go back to the ball or up to your rooms? I can make sure your three friends can join you if you'd like."

Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus joined the ball for a short while before leaving. Balls weren't really their thing.

Sarah nodded, her eyes still averting his. "Yeah, I'd like that. Thank you."

Jareth wanted to touch her, to kiss her forehead or to run his fingers through her hair to comfort her. But he couldn't when she wasn't meeting his gaze. Maybe she regretted kissing him. "Anytime, Sarah."

He turned to Daniel. "She is stable enough to be transported. Could you please take her to her chambers and call her friends? And when you get back to the ball, make sure that people know she has been overwhelmed by a ball. They will understand."

Daniel bowed. "It is my duty and pleasure, Sire. I will make sure Lady Sarah has everything she needs."

"See that you do." The king nodded. And with a gust of glitter, he disappeared.

Daniel walked to Sarah's side and held his hand out. Sarah looked at him and she felt safe with him. He was a good friend to her and to Jareth. No wonder Lydia was in love with him. Daniel was so handsome, with his chocolate brown skin and dark eyes, his curly black hair in an afro.

"Come my lady." He took her hand. "I will get you to your chambers."

In an instant, she felt herself in her chambers. While she was orienting herself, Daniel was calling for her friends and made sure she had any food and water.

Her friends burst in. "Sarah! Are you okay?" Sir Didymus asked. "I shall save you from anything, my fair maiden!"

Hoggle put his hand to her head. "Well, no fever, that's good."

"Sawah sick?" Ludo sat down, his face drawn with worry.

"I'm fine, thank you all." Sarah smiled at them from her large bed. "I had a panic attack, but I'm okay now."

Daniel came to check on her once more. "I'm glad to be hearing that. My lady? Do you need anything else?"

Sarah was about to shake her head, but then she decided to ask him a question. "Daniel? Might I ask a question before you leave?" She wiped the make up off her face, changing into her pajamas with a snap of her fingers.

He looked a little surprised, but indulged her. "Certainly my lady. What of?"

Sarah shifted her blanket to make herself more comfortable. "Do you think it is possible for two people who are best friends to fall in love and to have a good relationship? You and Lydia were set up on a blind date by Jareth, weren't you?"

Her three friends moved away a little, preparing some tea and biscuits and getting some board games to play. They could tell this was an important conversation that was potentially life changing.

Daniel knew where this was going. He and Lydia had discussed Sarah's and Jareth's hidden feelings for each other that they hid from the world. If telling her about love could push them forward, he'd tell her anything.

"Absolutely." Daniel smiled. "Sometimes it can be difficult for some, but for many, the love has always been there. It is just waiting to blossom. Love can come slowly or quickly, but a couple won't be happy unless they are friends with each other. Passion means nothing if there isn't love. Passion alone can make a relationship fun but it's only part of the story. By keeping your feelings in for someone, it isn't healthy for you or the relationship. Even if there is rejection, it will strengthen your friendship. Rejection can help you at least move on. Regret will make you wonder forever."

Sarah mulled over his words. "You sound like Lydia." She said with amusement.

Daniel had the biggest smile on his face when she said Lydia's name. "She is my fiancée and a sage when it comes to love."

He kissed her hand. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave. Do not hesitate to call me or His Majesty."

"I won't." Sarah said quietly.

Once Daniel left, Sarah yawned, and fell asleep. It had been a long day for her.

"She loves Jareth, doesn't she?" Hoggle whispered. "I wish the brat would just propose to her already. He's been googly eyed for her since they met."

"All in due time, Sir Hoggle." Didymus laid a hand on his shoulder. "It is good to push forward, but not to rush things."

"Jareth love Sawah. Sawah love Jareth." Ludo whispered.

A little past them, next to the sleeping Sarah, a snow globe with two turtle doves sat, symbolizing a new era that was to come soon.

* * *

Jareth ascended the steps to reach his study, as that's where Raynard and Ingrid were supposed to be. He didn't like this at all for having them there would mean nearly no escape for him. For his personal sanity, he brought two of his guards with him and had them stay at the end of the hall should he need them.

Walking closer, he could hear Ingrid and his father in a lively chatter. He sighed. They were close, and he had often wished to be close to them as well when he was a child. His father doted on her and ignored him, seeing his own life as a result of a marriage with a woman he hated. He had been indifferent to Jareth prior to Eleanor's death, but after she died, he hated looking at his own son because Jareth made him guilty. He felt pressured to remarry and to produce a spare to the throne.

The only good thing to come out of Jareth, according to Raynard, was that Ingrid was able to neglect the kingdom. She didn't have to rule over a bunch of crazy goblins and instead ruled over elegant fae with her husband. Had Jareth not been born, she would've had to rule two kingdoms when she married her husband.

He had gotten a report from Lydia that they had been abusing the goblins and his other subjects. Goblins were hardy, and they loved being kicked but apparently, Ingrid tied one of them upside down and smacked his head for entertainment while he was gone. His father had just laughed and everyone else either laughed or looked scared, not wanting to defy the former king and his daughter. This was reason enough for Jareth to banish them as they had hurt many creatures in the Goblin Kingdom for years.

When they heard him come in, their chatter immediately stoped. Raynard had a look on his face as if Jareth was stinky tuna and Ingrid had on a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Father. Sister." Jareth bowed. "What is so urgent that I had to immediately leave what I was attending to?"

Ingrid came to kiss Jareth on the cheek and the goblin king struggled to not cringe. He wanted to leave to Sarah as soon as he could.

"Little brother, why did you not come to see me at the ball? Hmm? You were so occupied that you couldn't come and see your dear sister?" Ingrid smoothed his hair down. "And your hair! Ugh, why can't you look normal?"

Jareth grabbed her hair and yanked it away. "Don't touch my hair, Ingrid!"

"That's enough from you, Jareth!" Raynard barked. "I expected you to be kinder to your sister than this. All she wanted to do was to check up on you. You were rude to not even approach your own family. We are ranked higher than anyone else around here!"

Jareth rolled his eyes, not caring anymore. He hardly did anything and his father was always criticizing him. "I see you're still always on Ingrid's side, even when I am the reigning monarch here, in case you have forgotten your place here, so no, father, you do NOT have the highest rank around here. And besides, why didn't you approach me instead of fooling around? I had many guests to attend to and was swamped."

Raynard's eyes narrowed, but he did not respond to that. Jareth was right, and that irked him. "Alright, I'll get to it then." The former king adjusted his gloves, his eyes looking at Jareth with great disdain. "Tell me why you were with that human wench. Probably a gold digger."

"Try calling her that again, and you will regret that." Jareth snarled. "I said she was to be treated well, and you are doing yourself no favors by insulting her."

"You practically marked her as yours with the necklace and with your dancing." Raynard remarked. "It is not appropriate to do so with a human. A fae or elven woman, possibly, but not human. You will scare away any potential mates that way."

"I'm not looking for a mate at the moment unless someone good comes by, as I have told you. I especially would not choose anyone that YOU would approve." He turned his back to them.

"And besides, she seems to be a sensitive thing, not being able to handle the fact that you've been with other women." Ingrid taunted.

At this, Jareth turned around. "What?"

"Oh? Are you so daft as to think that a human would be truly in love with you?" Ingrid scoffed, flipping her hair back. "You are a fool if you do, Jareth. It is us immortals that attract humans with our natural charm. If you were human with the way you are, then you would be nothing to her."

Jareth gulped. No. No that couldn't be true. Except, he knew it was possible. Sarah was well aware of the risks as she had ran into other immortals.

Raynard seemed to be taking pleasure in Jareth's discomfort. "You would condemn her to a life with you? A life of being a queen of this place? Sure, she would be rich, but she would see her family die away. She would be tainted with you. Or, are you not sure that you are making her fall in love with you for revenge in defeating the labyrinth?"

At this, Jareth's head snapped up, Lydia's word of encouragement filled his very being. "How DARE you accuse me of such things? Sarah is more than capable of making her own decisions. She is an adult. And just because YOU bribed MY mother to be your queen and give you a spare doesn't mean that I will do the same thing. At least I have honor!"

He shoved a chair to the side. "If you are here to just insult me, then leave!"

"We are worried about you, Jareth!" Raynard growled. "We want to protect the legacy of our line and we cannot tarnish it with humans!"

"YOUR LEGACY?!" Jareth screamed. "You already ruined your own legacy by forcing me to be KING when I was barely a legal adult! Both you AND Ingrid! Your laziness and sexual appetite was more important than ruling. But I suppose I can't complain, seeing as you have abused your own subjects! I HAD TO CLEAN UP THE MESS YOU BOTH MADE!"

"Still bitter about that, aren't you?" Ingrid placed her hands on her hips. "Maybe you're just projecting your guilt from your own sins! Your little human is nothing but a WHORE, much like your own mother!"

Red filled Jareth's vision. Anger coursed though his veins. He lost his temper easily, but this was the first time he had lost it in a violent rage. His fist came out and collided with Ingrid's nose, and he felt the satisfying crack that came from it.

Raynard conjured a crystal to restrain Jareth. But the king was too fast. He came over and with a yell, grabbed Raynard's shoulders and shoved him to the ground. He punched his father's mouth, blood spurting out.

Ingrid came behind him and Jareth elbowed her ribs, throwing her on the floor next to their father. He slapped both of their faces. "TELL ME AGAIN! TELL ME AGAIN THAT YOU THINK MY MOTHER WAS A WHORE! TELL ME AGAIN THAT YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO AFTER ALL YOU HAVE DONE TO ME!"

It felt GOOD. It felt damn good to beat the shit out of the people who have wronged him the most. It let out his pent up anger. It almost made things seem clear. To use his hands to inflict just a small fraction of the pain they gave him was satisfying.

He was about to shake them and smash their heads to the ground, consequences be damned, when he heard a small voice.

_"Jareth…"_

It was Sarah's voice. He could tell she was dreaming about him, that she truly wasn't calling out for him. Something about her voice made him stop.

He had never done bad things in his life. Oh, mistakes of course. But he had never killed, never hurt, never been to war as he was only alive during times of peace. Hearing her voice brought him back. It reminded him that though he was not a bad person before, he had much to improve. He had become a better person since she came into his life. Not just a more open person, but truly better.

He wanted to be a better man for her. And the thought of her possible reaction to beating up his family terrified him.

So he pulled back. For Sarah. For the girl who showed him his flaws and his mistakes. For himself, because he deserved a future not tainted by a rash moment of anger.

Raynard and Ingrid both shook with fear. Jareth was stronger than them both and could hurt them as much as he wanted. What would he do now to them?

The King of Goblins wiped a hand down his body, clearing the blood from his suit. He looked at his father and sister, his mind clear and his heart still heavy.

It was a decision he had been mulling over for years. He knew that now was the time to do it.

"I, Jareth, King of Goblins, Keeper of the Realms and Lord of the Labyrinth, do disown and banish my father, Duke Raynard, Former King of Goblins. I also disown and banish my sister, Queen Ingrid, former Princess of Goblins and Queen of Rinued. You both have abused the goblins and other subjects for years, even during my reign. As King, I have been neglecting in punishing you because I had hoped to win your affections. Yes, even after all this time. I have let my emotions get in the way of my ruling."

He swiped his cape to the side. "You have 13 minutes to leave my castle. Ingrid, you have another 13 minutes to leave my kingdom. Father, you have a week to settle everything and find another kingdom to live in."

Raynard and Ingrid started to protest but Jareth held his hand up, silencing them. "Do not speak! You do not get to speak to me unless I speak first! Per your banishment, I strip you of the magic powers you have gained as a result of living here."

Instantly, Raynard and Ingrid lurched back as if in pain. Golden smoke erupted from Raynard's chest, his magical essence. The same thing happened to Ingrid except her essence was a deep red color. The magic floated out of the window and into the ground where it returned to the land. Magical essence can be acquired through two ways: being born on the land or living in a place. You can only have two essences total. The one you were born with will stay with you forever unless stripped away like what Jareth did. The second kind stays with you so long as you do not move to another magical place. If one were to go Aboveground, for example, they would still have the magic of the last place they lived in. Sarah's was a little different, As she had defeated the Labyrinth, the Labyrinth claimed her as one of their own. She was not a part of the Goblin Kingdom, but her magic was attached to it.

Raynard gasped. "You took away all of my magic! And you leave Ingrid still with hers as she's a queen of another kingdom!"

"Did I tell you to not speak?" Jareth raised an eyebrow. "Disobey me again, and I will not be so merciful. I can be cruel."

"It isn't fair!" Ingrid wailed. "You took away the magic that came to me when I was born here!"

"I SAID SILENCE!" Jareth boomed. He grabbed his riding crop and placed it under his sister's chin. "You have no basis for comparison as to what is fair and what is not fair!"

He paced away from her. "And besides, you know that you can absorb new magic at whatever place you live in. If I am so cruel, I hope you are generous enough to take father in. Or, are you too ashamed to bring in a former exiled king?"

He pointed to his right side, a grandfather clock appearing. "Tick tock goes the clock. You have wasted too much time and now, you have only eight minutes before you have to be gone. I could also put you in the dungeons. Those I have yet to update. Do you remember how cruel you made them, father? Or shall I use the oubliettes instead?"

Neither said a word as they ran out of the castle, Ingrid helping her father transport as he was left without magic.

Jareth collapsed on the floor, sobbing. Though he hated his father and sister, he was now left without a family. He had friends but wasn't close to any of them but to Sarah. And for Sarah, oh how he loved her, but how could he stay with her? Everything Ingrid said was true. Did she really love him or just saw him as some knight in shining armor when things got bad in her life? Could she withstand the responsibility that would come with being a good queen?

He loved her and with all his heart. She was his everything. She was the reason he smiled. She was the reason he became a better person and a better king.

"I can't live within you." He whispered a song he had written for her. No, no he couldn't fool himself. He had to let her go. He couldn't approach her.

Love means letting someone be happy and giving them the best. He wasn't the best for her, he was sure of it.

He went back to the ball, a smile plastered on his face as he numbly went through the motions. The night went quite late and all the guests left, not knowing that the king was torturing himself from the inside.

Instead of going to Sarah's chambers to check on her, he had Lydia do it. He went to his own room and stuffed a pillow on his face, sobbing and wailing until he was so exhausted, he fell asleep, nightmares greeting him.

On his night stand was an owl, made of seashells.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The seashell thing and using it as a symbol of love is borrowed from Thailand. I'm Thai, and the stuff about the ocean I made up but the ceremony of pouring water (not necessarily sea water) on a couple's joined hands is a Thai wedding tradition. Most of this stuff I made up on my own but I do want to give credit where credit is due.


	7. Twenty-One

Sarah's fears came true. After their kiss, Jareth had been avoiding her like the freaking plague. He was polite and kind, but distant as hell. He didn't even see her off when she went back home and didn't even come to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Through Hoggle and Sir Didymus, she found out that Jareth had disowned his father and his sister. She tried to contact Jareth but he wouldn't let her speak of it. So she let it go, too scared of pushing him away even more.

"Maybe he doesn't love me like I thought. Maybe I misread our kiss. Or maybe he regrets it." She mused with sadness. "GOD! This is why I didn't want to start anything with him. Now my friendship with him is ruined!"

"You are definitely dumb for thinking so."

Sarah looked up from her childhood bed and saw Karen standing right next to her.

"You could've at least knocked." She grumbled. She grabbed a pillow and placed it over her head to avoid looking at her stepmother.

Karen came to sit next to Sarah. "I did, but you never responded. Honey, you've been in your room this whole time. What happened on your trip?"

Sarah flipped over to look at Karen, surprised. "What makes you think it was the trip?"

Karen smiled sadly at her. The truth was, though she and Sarah are much closer than they were, she still felt nervous about speaking to her about love. She stopped trying to interfere with Sarah's love life as it pushed the girl further away from her, but now she couldn't stand by and see her sad.

"You mentioned a friend, and you just broke up with Hank during finals. I have a feeling that a young man you are friends with is the cause of all of this. What's his name?"

Sarah shrugged, looking resigned. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because we shared one amazing kiss and he won't talk to me anymore. He's been there for me for so many things. Maybe he hates me."

"That sounds really odd." Karen remarked. "Is it long distance? Had you ever admitted feelings before? How was he with past girlfriends?"

If talking and telling Karen everything about her love life meant anything, it meant she needed some therapy. "I know he's been kind and never treated anyone badly. He was like me, he cared for someone and she cheated on him. I mean I hated Eric near the end but I did love him. I don't know if his heart is capable or if it wants to even love me."

Karen took Sarah's hand in hers. "You know, sometimes, people are just dense. Maybe he does love you. I think you two need to talk."

"Then what?" Sarah asked incredulously. "And what if he keeps being stubborn or refuses me?"

Karen looked straight into Sarah's eyes. "Don't do it for him then. Do it for you, for your own sanity. Do it so you can move on and not feel like you should've done more because you did. Please, Sarah. You know, when I dated your father, he was amazing and kind. He had a daughter and an ex wife. I was worried I wouldn't live up to how beautiful your mother was and that I would be a terrible stepmom and you'd hate me. Plus, you were a reminder of your father's past with another woman. That's not an easy thing to come to terms with. Well, we didn't get along that well after Toby was born, did we? But now, I wouldn't trade anything. You are an amazing young woman and the best sister Toby could ever have."

The amount of gentleness and sincerity forced Sarah to sit up and hug Karen. She had never opened up to Sarah about her romance with her father before. Ever. And it meant the world to her. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed out her appreciation and apology.

"It's okay honey." Karen patted her back. "It hasn't been easy for you too, with your mom and all. I'm not the easiest person to get along with. But trust me when I say I love you."

"I love you too." Sarah sobbed. "Oh, Karen. Yes, I will go and talk to him."

"That's my brave Sarah." Karen beamed. "Oh! Do you want to go with us to the New Year's Eve party at my parent's tonight, or do you have plans for tonight?"

Sarah tried to not roll her eyes. She really wasn't fond of going to Karen's parents's house. They were nice people, but it meant seeing Karen's really awful older sister and her awful oldest daughter. Nah. Better to just not.

Actually, she had an idea.

"You know, Karen," she started. "I didn't have any plans but Lindsey did ask me to go to her party. Maybe I could ask that guy to go on a date if he isn't busy. He usually isn't on New Year's Eve. He's kind of a loner and doesn't really get a long with his abusive family."

Karen clicked her tongue at that part. "Poor boy. Well, if you decide to date him or to resume your friendship, have him come over. He always has a place for love here. I hope he finds it with you. He sounds like a good guy. Really idiotic with how he doesn't try to date you, but good."

Sarah laughed. "Yeah, he is."

* * *

Sarah felt stupid.

She had always been comfortable around Jareth. She could wear pajamas and have the worst hair or be dolled up for prom and she seldom felt self conscious because he didn't judge. Yes, sometimes she would feel underdressed or just lame but she never felt the need to dress up _for him_. She could always been herself.

Now, she was mumbling and grumbling about what to wear to the New Year's Eve party. Should she wear a dress? Some cute slacks with a nice blouse? Or just a nice shirt with jeans? Should she wear make up? She was bringing Jareth as a date, so she put on some simple pink lipstick and purple eye shadow because hey, she should make an effort if she was going to ask him on a date.

She settled with a dress. Dresses made her confident and confidence was what she needed. She decided on a simple blue dress she had in her closet. It went down to her knees so she wouldn't feel too exposed on such a cold night and was a halter-top styled dress. It was a simple dress that was classy and not too flashy. To top it off, she had a matching blue wrap that clasped in front.

After slipping on her stockings, she heard Hoggle knocking through her mirror. "Come in!"

"Hey girlie." Hoggle walked over and sat in her chair. "You look real nice tonight." He squirmed, uneasy, but Sarah didn't notice as she was too preoccupied.

She rummaged through her purse. "Thank you! You're earlier than expected. Did you give my note to Jareth? Will he be here soon?"

Hoggle groaned and Sarah looked up to see him face-palming. "Uh, Sarah, so Jareth never got your note..."

He twiddled his thumbs. "He says he didn't want to talk to nobody, 'specially you. I dunno why. He's been holed up in his room for a long time apparently. Since Yuletide. Maybe it's the falling out with his parents."

Sarah sighed. "Oh dear. I'm so sorry Hoggle. If I knew he was mad, I wouldn't have sent you."

Hoggle waved. "Nah, he was mad and it scares me but he's never truly harmed me. So are you gonna go to the party?"

Sarah thought about it for a moment. But only a moment. "No. If he's been like this since Yuletide, I need to check up on him. Maybe I can get through to him. What do you think?"

Hoggle massaged the back of his neck. Jareth still made him nervous. "Well girlie, you ain't wrong, he could let you through but he's never been like this before. He's only coming out to do the bare minimum of all his duties. He wouldn't ever hurt you. He has a soft spot for ya."

Sarah blushed. "Yeah, well, it's as you say. I've been dumb for putting off speaking to him about my feelings for so long. I hope he feels the same but if he doesn't, then I need to know."

Hoggle squeezed he hand. "Well good luck to ya. Be safe and should you need us..."

"I'll call." She kisses his cheek in appreciation. "Thank you, Hoggle."

"My pleasure girlie. Now go and get that stubborn king!"

* * *

Sarah prepared herself mentally as to what to say to him. Maybe it wasn't her that was the problem, it was his parents. Maybe it all overwhelmed him and so, thoughts of her was pushed aside. She couldn't take this personally. Still, it made her sad that he closed himself off.

Walking down the corridors, she heard some fussing and grumbling as well as scared voices. She rounded the corner, and saw Lydia and Daniel at Jareth's chambers.

"I'm telling you!" Lydia whispered harshly. "We need Sarah to get him out! He's been in there too long. You and I know that she's the only one he'll listen to."

"Lydia, are you insane?" Daniel grabbed her away from his chambers. "Don't let him hear you! I told you, bringing Sarah is a bad idea. I've been in there and he refuses to even let me say her name."

Sarah's eyes widened. What did she do to deserve this treatment from him?

Her first reaction was to cry. This was awful and terrible. Maybe he was too caught up in the moment. Maybe he didn't really love her.

But then, anger filled her very being. He had NO RIGHT to kiss her and then disappear without explanation! He had no right to act this way. She was sick of mind games that had been played on her. What was she to him? Was she just some other pretty girl he was used to kissing?

She stepped out of the shadows, fuming. "What is the meaning of this?"

Daniel and Lydia each brought their hands up in a defensive position, then breathed in relief when they saw Sarah. Then they panicked again at seeing her.

"Lady Sarah!" Daniel blurted. "What are you doing here?"

Sarah made a face. "What is going on? Why is he in his chambers? Why is he refusing any contact from me?"

"We're not sure, we can only guess." Lydia stepped in front of Daniel, protecting him from Sarah's death glare. "Lady Sarah, please-"

"He doesn't get to do this to me!" Sarah screamed. "He is a KING and a king has honor. He owes me an explanation for ignoring me."

She smashed her fist on the door. "JARETH! LET ME IN!"

Lydia and Daniel tried to grab her, but Sarah was so angry that her magic created a mini explosion where they were propelled backwards, their bodies falling down like dominoes. Luckily, neither were hurt, but it was enough for them to not try that again.

"Sarah, please!" Daniel pleaded. "Don't disturb his majesty like this. Use gentleness, I don't want to feel his wrath."

"You won't." Sarah didn't even look back at him, her face on the door. "I will deal with him."

Lydia stood in front of her. "And then what? And then he throws you in the bog?"

"I'll take my chances!" Sarah wailed. "Did you not tell me to take a chance? You hypocrite! Now you're scared of him!"

"He's our KING and his words are commands!" Daniel pleaded. "Unless his orders are harmful or malicious, we follow them because he has his reasons."

Sarah unclasped her cloak, getting it out of her way. "Well, his reasons are probably stupid. Now get out of the way or else I will kick your ass instead of his sparkly one!"

She closed her hands together then widened them, forming a ball of energy. "Jareth! If you know what's good for you, then you'd open the damn door or I will BREAK IT DOWN!"

Just as she was about to throw the ball of energy, the door clicked and opened slightly and on it's own. Just a crack.

The three of them stood there, unsure of what just happened. The only sound that could be heard was Sarah's ball of energy making whizzing sounds.

"Put that damn thing away, Sarah." Jareth's pissed off voice rang through the halls. "And you two, for breaking my orders, I should bog you!"

Lydia and Daniel flinched at that.

"Don't blame them, they're worried about you." Sarah huffed. "You should thank them!"

The voice did not acknowledge her outburst. "Sarah, come in. I know I cannot convince you to leave."

"Damn straight." She mumbled.

"As for YOU, Daniel and Lydia," Jareth continued. "Leave immediately. I will deal with this stubborn girl myself."

Lydia was still unsure. She had never seen Jareth this mad and was honestly scared for Sarah. "Sire..."

"LEAVE OR I WILL SEND YOU TO THE BOG!"

They didn't need to be told twice.

Sarah stood there, unsure of what to do now that her adrenaline was running out. She started to feel the fear that Lydia and Daniel were feeling.

"Are you going to stand there like an idiot or are you coming in?" Jareth demanded of her.

Now that does it! He wasn't going to demean her like this. She DEFEATED his freaking labyrinth and was his equal!

Sarah stormed in and found Jareth facing the window, his right side to her. He looked disheveled, unusual for him. His hair was always a mess but now it looked matted. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and possibly tears. His white shirt was wrinkled and his cape tattered. Still, he looked so beautiful. No matter what, Sarah would always find him more beautiful than anything or anyone else.

Jareth only briefly looked at her direction. He felt shame. Shame that she looked so amazing while he was so disheveled. Shame that he couldn't keep his resolve to push away, that he HAD to let her into his chambers and his heart. Sarah bewitched had him, plain and simple. No other person was able to capture his heart so fully, so deeply.

"I need explanations." Sarah said quietly. "I came to check on you, but it seems that this has to do with me."

She stood there patiently. She wanted to give him a chance to speak. His body slowly turned to her, his hand on the window sill, staring into the snow.

"Yes." He said simply.

It took all she could to not roll her eyes at the vague answer. "Jareth, won't you tell me what is it about me that bothers you?"

He huffed. "Dear Sarah, nothing and everything about you bothers me." He brought a bottle of beer to his face and took a sip. "What do you wish to know?"

Sarah took one step forward, feeling a little safer. "I want to know what we are to each other. I want to know why you've been avoiding me for these few weeks. You don't know how I've blamed and hated myself, for, well, I don't know what because you won't tell me. Please talk to me Jareth."

His hand gripped tighter on the beer bottle. Then, without warning, he roared and threw it into the fireplace. Sarah jumped back at the sound of broken glass and his body shaking from the outburst.

"Nothing is your fault!" He screamed. "It's all mine!"

He faced her fully now, his upper lip curled in a snarl. "You have these, these expectations of us. Not every kiss means it'll turn into love or a good relationship. And, it appears I didn't make it clear enough. And I am truly sorry."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "You know me better than that, that I'm not some fairy tale seeking kid. I am no innocent."

"I'm aware." He snorted.

"And neither are you." She spat. "So what am I to you? Just friends with benefits? Do my feelings for you not matter? What do you expect will happen to us if we don't court? I know of your position as a king and I know our relationship. It has never been about sex, but mutual respect and friendship!"

Her voice rose to a shrill. She couldn't stop herself now. "What am I to you, one of those random girls and boys you have fun for a night? Were you planning on making me your mistress?"

Jareth slammed his fists against the window. He couldn't believe his ears. "How DARE you accuse me of doing such things! I would NEVER lie and be dishonorable to anyone! I wouldn't plan to make ANYONE my mistress without knowing that they wanted it first. And besides, I've courted others before, Sarah. I didn't just have flings."

He stepped closer to her, but they were still far away. "Who the hell do you think I am, my father? My father who forced his female human runners to be his sex slaves when they lost in exchange for the child to be sent back? I am an honorable man!"

"THEN WHY WOULD YOU KISS ME AND IGNORE ME?" Sarah screamed, tears falling freely. "If you knew I didn't want to be just a fun playing like every other women, then why would you kiss and leave? Stop playing mind games with me!"

"What the hell?" He demanded. "Every other woman? What makes you think THAT? And mind games? When have I ever done that to you?"

With one wipe of her hand, Sarah made her tears disappear. She was mad again. "Your father and sister were so kind enough to remind me that I am nothing compared to all your exes and flings-"

"You'd listen to them?" He roared. "You'd listen to a man who gave up the throne to be more free to seduce others and a woman who forced her younger brother to take on responsibility SHE was trained to do since she was a child?"

"I AM NOT DONE!" Sarah snapped. "Shut the hell up and listen! Were they lying? No, they weren't. Even when I ran the labyrinth, even when I danced with you in the dream, you eluded me. And to do what? To be with other women. Is it true that you haven't courted or had flings with anyone since before I met you, or do you have secret paramours that I know nothing of?"

She was on a roll now. "And while we're at it, how about your offer? How was that not emotionally manipulating? To fear you? And you saying you've been generous when you put me through ABSOLUTE SHIT!"

Jareth looked at the ground. He didn't want to tell her. He didn't. It would go against pushing her away. But, she deserved the truth. He owed it to her.

He couldn't be angry. Not at Sarah. Not when she was right. He tried so hard to, but this girl brought out the goodness in him.

"Because at Yuletide," He said softly. "I wanted to have more than a kiss too. I wanted more, and I don't mean sex. I mean, a chance with you to make this last."

He turned around now, facing the fireplace. "But I can't. I can't do it with you, or anyone."

He crumpled to the floor, sobbing.

"Sarah." He called out. "That ballroom dream, you were meant to dream something happy. You instead hurt yourself by letting your fears creep in. I ran from you because it was fun at first, to have the thrill of you finding me. But I know now that it was wrong. You questioned my motives when you should've felt safe in my arms. It's true, I haven't had a 'thing' with anyone since even before you were born probably. I didn't mean to manipulate you, I was desperate to keep you with me. I didn't love you yet, but I was falling for you. Your kindness and stubbornness reminded me of myself. Your sincerity was important to me and I wanted that. The book tells of a tale, yes. But it added some truths into that. Like how I fell for you and gave you certain powers, certain powers over my heart."

He placed his head in his hands. He still couldn't look at her. The words spilled out of his mouth to let her head everything at once, everything he had wanted to tell her but didn't for years. "I thought by trying to appeal to your child-like mind of a king with powers to grant dreams, you'd accept. I wasn't thinking. You were too young and I hated myself for having feelings for a child. I felt dirty and disgusting even if I wasn't inappropriate with you. That's why I was so hostile to you, to convince myself to let you go."

He sobbed some more. "I can't have you because I do these things. I haven't been manipulating like that since, and if I am then it's never on purpose. I've been raised by my father, don't forget how awful he is. I can't be with you. I'll hurt you, Sarah. I'll hurt you repeatedly. And I can't do that to you. You deserve a happy life. And it's not with me."

He wrapped his cape around him. "I'm a monster." He whispered.

Sarah's heart went out to him. He really did love her, he just didn't say the exact words. She always saw his flaws of course, but he wasn't a bad person. He was a product of his upbringing and he was doing his best to combat it. Like anyone would.

It still didn't explain one thing though. He had tried to court her, she could feel it. What happened after their kiss that made him so distant?

She had a feeling as to what.

She walked to him, and Jareth pulled himself away. "Sarah, please don't." He shivered. "Leave me be." He was ashamed of showing such weakness in front of her. He didn't want her to feel guilty for his state but he was just so low, so broken that he couldn't. Damn. He wished he had more alcohol. He only had a sip of it.

Sarah hushed him, rubbing his back. "Jareth, tell me what happened to your dad and your sister."

He looked at her, surprised that she'd ask about that but not about his long confession. And still, he had to tell her. Once he talked, there was no stopping him. And besides, he would do anything for her.

"Father and Sister came, all over my business as usual." Jareth grumbled. "They ended up insulting you even though you're my honored guest. Ingrid eventually called my mother a whore."

Sarah gasped. "No!"

"Yes." He growled. "She called my own sweet mother a whore. I lost it. I punched her nose and broke it. I pinned them both down and slapped them. Sarah, I have never lost my temper like that with anyone and it frightened me. I stopped and I did what I should've done ages ago: I disowned them from my family tree as is my right as the king. I am now the patriarch as my father gave it up. I kicked them out of my kingdom."

He pushed her hand away and walked from her. "Don't look at me. I'm a monster. I'm dangerous. I may not imprison or kill anyone, but I have lashed out and screamed, just like I did today. The only thing stopping me was you. I thought of how I tried to become a better person after I gained a friend in you because you held me accountable. I'm afraid I'd hurt you the way I hurt Ingrid and Raynard. I have to keep you safe. I have to keep you away from me."

The way he huddled in a fetal position sparked something in Sarah. This was the time. This was the moment of all moments. She had to tell him exactly how she felt.

"Jareth." She whispered. "Let me tell you something. Please listen.

He looked up from his cape, tears still in his eyes. "What do you want to say?"

Tentatively, Sarah walked up and sat by him. She reached out and put her hand on his arm, their eyes meeting. She took his hand and placed it where her heart was. Her small hand covered his and her other hand caressed his face.

She whispered slowly, bringing Jareth's hand from her chest to her lips. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered..."

"Sarah what are you doing?" He shivered. Was she going to break his heart all over again?

"I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City..." she continued as if he never spoke. "To freely _give_ my heart that you have stolen." Sarah slowly peeled his glove off and kissed his first finger. "For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great..."

She dropped his hand and kissed his cheek. "You have power over me!"

She felt Jareth's tears going from his eyes to his cheek where her lips were. She knew they were happy tears and she kissed them, the saltiness on her mouth.

"But Jareth, I don't fear you. I do fear losing you. I love you, yes. I will do as you say so long as I agree to it. I don't want you to be my slave or offer me dreams or for you to rule me. I want to be your equal. Let me have that chance. Let US have that chance. You won't hurt me or lose your temper because I don't push your buttons like that. I will reason and argue with you and you will reason and argue with me. We have our flaws and will keep each other in check. You said so yourself, the thought of me kept you from lashing out even more."

She nuzzled against his neck now. "For every flaw you have, you have ten other things that make up for it. I'm sure we will have a lot of things to work out. But it'll be okay, because we will do it together. You aren't irredeemable, Jareth. Just imperfect like everyone is."

Jareth gripped her tightly. Whatever he was expecting when she barged in chambers, it wasn't this. He had hope again. Hope that maybe he wasn't so bad and maybe he could have love. "Oh, you precious thing."

Sarah pulled back and cradled his face in her hands. She always felt happy when he called her Precious. "I mean it. I love you."

Jareth stopped breathing. His eyes were now showing her his soul, his desires for her clear. "Say it again." He whispered. "I need to hear it."

Sarah wanted to cry from happiness. He was accepting her. Not long ago, he was resigned to being alone forever, and through her words alone, she helped him to understand that he deserved this love. She took his other hand and peeled the glove off that one. She brought it to her lips and kissed his wrist. "I love you." She whispered

She kissed his knuckles. "I love you." She kissed his ring finger. "I love you." She kissed his chest where it was exposed. "I love you."

She kissed his collar bone. "I love you." She kissed his neck right below his left ear. "I love you." She kissed his forehead. "I love you." She kissed his nose and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck. "I love you."

Her lips hovered over his and she saw his eyes drop down in anticipation. His breath on hers, quick and excited. But instead of kissing, she put a finger in between their lips. "Jareth?" She said in a breathy whisper.

His eyes opened, sparkling like the stars in the sky. "Yes, my Sarah?"

She broke into a smile. "You didn't say it back. You're supposed to do that before we kiss, don't you know?"

She didn't so much hear as felt his deep chuckle from his chest. "Oh Sarah. Don't you know that I've said it before? You just need to listen."

He cleared his throat. He quietly sang the a lyric from the song she had heard years ago. " _But I'll be there for you. As the world falls down_..."

He kissed her finger that was on his lips then moved it away. He pressed his lips to hers and she reciprocated.

There on the floor of Jareth's chambers, the two souls met in a kiss. This kiss was not sexual, but it was not innocent either. Jareth massaged Sarah's top lip with his. He licked under that lip and made a noise of satisfaction when she opened her mouth to taste his tongue. It wasn't harsh and fast, but gentle and sweet. They didn't leave any oral crevice untouched, no place unexplored. Their hands were in their hair, on their waist, shoulders, anywhere that wasn't too intimate of a spot to touch. They kept their hands appropriate, loving each other and less restrained than at Yuletide.

Jareth pulled back and Sarah panted for air and desire as he placed kisses on her neck. It too her a moment to realize that he was whispering her name over and over, worshipping her as she had never been worshipped before. Oh, she could get used to this!

He stopped before they went too far. He wanted to go slow with Sarah, to savor this moment. He had all the time in the world to show her all the ways he could love her. He pressed his forehead on hers and rubbed their noses together.

Sarah let out a giggle. She also seemed to want to go slowly, kissing his nose. "Jareth, take a chance with me. Court me. I know the risks and I just am asking for a chance."

He kissed her cheek. "I love you, Sarah. I've loved you for so long. Yes, let's take a chance."

Sarah laid her head on his chest, running her hands on his bare chest. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so happy, so free. So light.

Just then, they heard and saw the explosion of fireworks outside. Sarah turned herself so her back was on his chest, leaning back and watching the explosions in awe. It wasn't like the ones at home where they would just explode. They changed into magnificent creatures they bounced and leapt. One was a tiger roaring. Another was a castle. Yet another was a dragon.

She gasped in awe. "Wow, I've never seen fireworks down here. They're amazing."

Jareth wrapped his arm around her so his hand was resting on her stomach. "They certainly are. You're usually not here on big occasions since you're with your family."

Sarah hummed. "I suppose that's true. Just wow, I really love the sight of this!"

Jareth kisses her hair and chuckled. "Love? This is nothing. Let me take you to the roof and we can see it together. Just, let me get a few things done first."

Jareth had gone to Lydia and Daniel to apologize. He really wanted to be a better person. He also apologized to Hoggle personally. He changed his clothes and refused to let Sarah see what he was changing into, saying he wanted to surprise her.

Before Sarah knew it, her surroundings changed and she was at the topmost tower with Jareth, out in the cold night with snow falling on their heads. She moved around and found that her clothing had changed. She had on her dress still, but her cloak was now fuzzy and long to keep her warm.

She turned and gasped when she saw Jareth.

He had on the same outfit as her peach dream, navy blue with sparking glitter to look like he was wearing the night sky. His hair had blue dyed tips. The only difference was that he wasn't wearing gloves.

"I thought I'd dress nice." He said shyly. "It's New Year's Eve and a new special occasion for me now that I'm courting you."

Sarah melted. He was just too darn cute for his own good.

"You know, I sent Hoggle to give you a note because I was going to ask you to be my date at a friend's party." She took his hand. "But this is much better."

"It is, isn't it?" He said. "And this is the best view in the whole kingdom, at least in my opinion."

Sarah couldn't argue with that. They were up so high that the fireworks were below them. They could still see the stars above clearly.

Jareth has a few Polaroid cameras on hand. They took some photos together the best they could. She took some of the stars and he of her when she wasn't looking. They laughed and teased each other to no end. Their relationship didn't change necessarily, but it grew. There was a new dimension added to what was already there.

"It certainly is beautiful. I've always had a fascination for the stars." Sarah said. "I would love to travel to them."

She felt Jareth's hand reach behind her waist. She leaned into him and he caressed her hip.

"Me too." He softly told her. "Do you want to look at the constellations?"

Sarah grinned. "Show me!"

Jareth smiled down on her. He kept his hand where it was at and used his free hand to grab hers and pointed at a few stars. "See that constellation? That's Orion. You can see his belt."

He did that to a lot of other constellations, talking about each as a mythological story but also as markers in the sky. He told her of her mother's favorite constellations and how they used to make up their own when he was a child.

"Make a constellation for us." Sarah promoted him. "What pictures can you make?"

Jareth paused. The hand on Sarah's waist gripped tighter.

Sarah looked at his face curiously. Why was he so serious all of a sudden?

He kissed her head for comfort and ran his hand down her arm. "My Precious Sarah. Know this, I move the stars for no one. But for you, and you alone, I will lay my love between them."

He shot his hand up in the air and drew a picture in the stars. He projected bright lines so she could see the dots connect. Mesmerized, Sarah held back a sob when she saw that he drew them when they danced in the ballroom dream.

She looked into Jareth's face and saw pure love etched in him. He LOVED her, and he wanted her to know it.

"Precious." He whispered. "I want you to look at the stars and always think of me."

Sarah sobbed and hugged him. "Jareth! Oh, my Jareth!"

She gave him kisses all over his face. "I love you. I love you more than anything."

"And you, Sarah." He kissed her with equal passion. "I love you with every fiber of my very being."

He would never tire of exploring her mouth, her face, her being. Her kisses were sweet and full of love. He never felt more fulfilled with Sarah than he had ever been with anyone else.

Just then, the clock struck 13. Not that Jareth and Sarah noticed. They just kept on kissing. All 13 chimes came and went, the two finally pulling away.

Sarah thought he looked beautiful before, but before had nothing of him now. His smiling lips were swollen and his face had a healthy blush from their kiss. Oh, how she loved her Jareth.

"Happy New Year, my king." Sarah touched his cheek. "I feel like we should celebrate with champagne."

Jareth chuckled. "Happy new year. And indeed we do, my love."

The way he called her "my love" made her heart skip a few beats.

They transported back to Jareth's chambers, playing cards and arranging Polaroid photos on the hardwood floor. Candles surrounded them, the wax dripping on the hardwood floor. They had only a few drinks, giggling and laughing in love.

Sarah started to doze off, much less accustomed to alcohol than Jareth was. He chuckled and carried her to his bed, hovering his hand over her body to change her clothes to be a modest grey night gown.

Sarah panicked a bit. "Jareth, I don't want to, I mean, not yet. I'm not ready for-"

"Relax my darling." He smoothed her hair down. "I will not bed you tonight. I want to go slow too. There is no need to rush so I will sleep on the couch tonight." He kissed her hand to let her know that he meant it. "Good night, my sweet Sarah."

Sarah grabbed his sleeve and Jareth turned around, surprised.

Her eyes shined and gleamed from the candle light. "You know, this bed is pretty big. It would be a shame if I only took up half of it. It would be great for cuddles. And I mean, you've slept next to me before."

Jareth's cheeky grin made an appearance as he slid into bed with her. He turned her around so he was spooning her, his larger body covering her smaller one. He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her neck. "Oh you. I know I will sleep well tonight with you by my side."

Sarah had no doubts about that.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the windows and hit Sarah in the eyes. The champion of the labyrinth was a little disoriented at first, realizing this wasn't her bed. She also had some feathers on her cheek.

Wait. Those weren't feathers. It was soft like them though. It was someone's hair.

Jareth!

She tried so hard to not jump and kiss his face, happy that she wasn't dreaming. He really was next to her, holding her waist and face in her neck. She felt his even breathing and it made her smile. He could be the cutest thing if he wanted to be.

He felt her shift and his arms gripped her body even tighter to his. And all while he was still asleep.

Sarah twisted her body so she was facing him. Gently, she placed small kisses all over his face and neck, slowly whispering his name and calling him to consciousness.

"Hmm?" He called sleepily. Then he opened his eyes and broke into the widest grin Sarah had ever seen.

"Good morning, Precious." He kissed her lips. "I thought I was dreaming, but am I glad this is real."

"So do I." Sarah teased her lips on his. "You're quite a sight to wake up to. I could get used to the view."

"Mmm. I can say about you." He laid on his stomach, gazing at her. He ran a finger from her shoulder, down her arm, to her finger tips.

"I have to say, you're the best New Year's Eve kiss I've had." She complimented him. "Actually, you're the best kisser I've ever kissed."

Jareth's eyes light up like a Christmas tree. "I can say the same about you. No kiss has ever compared to yours. Then again, even dancing with you and hugging you feels better than anything I've ever experienced."

Sarah blushed. If kissing him was this good, imagine how great everything else would be.

He played with her hair, braiding one strand of it with his skilled fingers. "You know, you're the first person I've shared this bed with."

Sarah blinked. "What? Really?"

"Yes." Jareth told her. "I got this bed a few years before I met you. The old was my father's and I hated it. It was this ugly, brutish green color. It didn't fit at all with the room!"

Sarah laughed and kissed his brow. "You and your taste of fashion!"

Jareth winked. "What can I say? I'm amazing. And thank god it's better than yours but then again, that's not saying much."

Sarah smacked him. "You asshole!"

Jareth roared with laughter as she threw another pillow at him. He tried to grab his pillow but was losing balance. He yelped and instinctively, he grabbed Sarah and they fell down the side of the bed together, covered in blankets and laughing their heads off.

Sarah's stomach growled and she tried to squish it down, horrified. Jareth laughed even harder and this time, Sarah really did hit him with a pillow.

"I hate you!" She yelled, laughing.

"Oh, do you?" Jareth stood and held his hand to her so she'd be able to get up. He pulled her close and kissed her. "I recall you saying quite the opposite many times last night."

Sarah blushed. "Yeah whatever. Let's go make pancakes or something. I'm starving."

"As my lady commands." Jareth beamed.

* * *

They finished cleaning up the bottles of champagne in their room and placed their polaroids next to Sarah's owl sculpture that she made for Jareth. They made their way to the kitchenette.

"So what do you think?" Jareth asked. "We can take this slow of course." He mixed up the pancake batter next to Sarah.

Sarah sighed. "I'm just a little embarrassed because I literally broke up with Hank less than a month ago. Let's wait until next month maybe? Before we tell the general public and announce that we're courting." She cracked some eggs onto the skillet. "How do you want your eggs today? Scrambled or sunny side up?"

"Scrambled today, love." He added a few drops of vanilla extract. "Oh, could you add some-"

"Extra peppers? On it!" Sarah winked.

With Jareth, she didn't have the benefit of just enjoying his company. He was a king. Now that they went from friends to significant others, a frank conversation of how and when they would announce their courtship would be important.

"We can wait that long." Jareth told her. "I want us to be comfortable first. To have some time alone. You know, I would love to meet your parents I'm dying to meet Toby again!" He poured the batter on the griddle. "Bananas and blueberries for you, Sarah?"

"You know me well." She dipped a finger in the batter to taste it. "Mmm! This is going to taste amazing! And I guess if you want but don't tell them we're dating yet. You can swap pancake recipes with Karen, I bet she'd like that."

"I'd love to." Jareth sprinkled on the blue berries and bananas in the batter. "I do prefer strawberries over blueberries in pancakes though."

He went to mix the batter some more when suddenly, he learn dropped it and a large splash of batter got all over his shirt.

"Ah!" He cried in frustration. He rolled his eyes and lifted his shirt up and over his head.

Sarah's eyes bulged. She had never seen him shirtless before and it was a sight to behold.

It was like slow motion, the way he reached behind him and pulled the fabric to the front. It exposed his lower stomach, then his chest, then his shoulders. He tossed it aside and ran his fingers through his hair.

Sarah had hugged him often so she knew he was much stronger than he looked. He was lean and graceful like a dancer but if you touched him, you'd feel the rippling muscles underneath. Between his naked upper half and tight pants on his lower half, it really made Sarah breathless.

She didn't even realize she was staring so blatantly until he smirked at her. "What? Enjoying the view?"

He stretched out a few muscles and went back to making pancakes.

Sarah's face burned with her blush. Instead of responding with sarcasm as she usually did, she figured that he'd be more surprised at a genuine response.

"You know what?" She batted her eyes at him then went back to cooking the eggs and bacon. "I do, very much. You're the most attractive man I've ever laid my eyes on."

She scraped the eggs and bacon onto two plates and set them on the table. Jareth came by and sat next to her, placing a perfect plate of pancakes in front of her. Sarah looked at him, surprised at the vulnerability in his eyes.

"Jareth?" She touched his face. "What's wrong?"

He just held her hand and kissed it with love. "Do you mean that?"

Sarah was reminded that no matter how confidence he acted with, he always was vulnerable and unsure. It was endearing how humble he could be. She kissed his lips to reassure him that indeed she did think so.

"Does that answer your question?" She pulled from the kiss.

Jareth nodded, in a daze. "Yes. Yes it does."

They forced their attention to the food, making eyes at each other the whole time.

* * *

For the rest of the day, they decided to go have some fun in the New England town where Sarah grew up in. They went to a natural ice skating rink on the frozen river (to which Sarah was awful at), the park where Jareth and first seen Sarah, hot cocoa, and then to the grocery store to do some shopping for Karen. To be able to walk around freely with Jareth in her own world was a freeing thing for Sarah. It felt so nice to do something as mundane as go grocery shopping with him and even nicer to tell the girls who flirted with him that she was HIS girl and he was HER man.

Jareth had mentioned meeting her parents earlier at breakfast but Sarah didn't realize he meant TODAY.

"It'll be good for us." He reassured her. "They can get to know me and I with won't tell them we're a couple, just friends still."

Sarah snorted. "Yes, friends who spent a great deal making out today."

"And last night. Don't forget last night." Jareth insisted, winking at her.

Oh boy.

Sarah tentatively knocked on the door. She stood a little from Jareth and avoiding anything like handholding with him. That was harder than expected as she was now so used to touching him freely.

The door opened to reveal a six year old boy. Toby's mouth hung over as he stared at Jareth. "GOBLIN KING!"

Sarah glanced over at Jareth but he seemed just as shock as she was. "Well, hello Toby! I'm Jareth." He crouched down to his level. "How are you?"

The boy looked from Sarah and Jareth, putting the two and two together. "Sarah are you going to marry him?"

"Toby!" Sarah frowned at him while Jareth laughed.

Karen came through the door. "Toby, I told you to always check before opening the front door. Oh! Sarah hi!"

She embraced her stepdaughter and saw the bag of groceries. "I still can't believe you found a place that was open! And who is this young man that you told me you were bringing in for dinner?"

Jareth smoothly held his hand out. "My name is Jareth, Mrs. Williams. How do you do?"

Karen was instantly charmed. "I'm quite well! Come in! You both must be freezing. Sarah always gets cold easily and I won't have her getting sick on the first day of the new year!"

They all went into the living room. Toby was chattering excitedly at Jareth and was most intrigued about his hair and outfit. "Your hair is messy!"

Jareth chuckled. "Your Sister has told me this many times."

"I like your outfit. You look cool!"

And cool he looked. Jareth had on clothes that were actually similar to his normal ones. He had on a black leather jacket with a high collar, a black t-shirt inside, and jeans tucked in his boots. While most human males would look like they were trying to hard, Jareth looked positively elegant and suave.

"Well I think you're cool too!" Jareth said. "Tell me more about what you'd like to do!"

As Toby chatted away, Karen motioned for Sarah to go into the kitchen.

Sarah had a large smile on her face as she knew what Karen was going to say.

"Sarah?" Karen handed her a few dishes to set up. "Is Jareth the guy we were talking about last night? He seems very friendly and charming, especially with Toby. He certainly doesn't follow the status quo, does he?"

Sarah was amazed at how quickly Karen picked all of this up in just a few minutes. "Yes he is. We had a chat last night and decided to spend New Year's Day together. You don't mind having him for dinner, do you?"

Karen waved. "Not at all! The more the merrier. I can see the way he looks at you. Don't ever take it for granted." She set a plate of pasta on the table. "You say he doesn't have a family anymore?"

"Correct." Sarah placed the napkins around the table. "It's pretty sad actually. His mom was a sweet lady who died in an accident. His father is kind of a playboy and his sister is a really awful person who acts like she's better than anyone."

"Sounds like Jareth is trying to be different from all of that." Karen said thoughtfully. "Well, keep me updated on whether you guys decide to date or not. I have a good feeling about him." She winked at Sarah.

"Good feeling about who?"

Robert Williams came down from the stairs. He greeted Karen and Sarah each with a kiss on the cheek. "Who is that young man talking to Toby in the living room?"

Karen handed Robert some salad dressing. "That's Sarah's 'friend' Robert." She used her fingers to make quotation marks in the air. "Prepare the salad, won't you?"

Robert raised his eyebrows. "Well, he seems to be a very good friend of yours. I haven't talked to him yet, but I like him. None of your past boyfriends got along with Toby this way. Most are totally hostile or ignore him but he is so sincere."

He plopped in some greens into a bowl. "Still, I'm not so keen of your habit of jumping from boy to boy so quickly. I'll have to get to know him."

Sarah lowered her eyes in shame. Her father meant well, but sometimes he said things that came across as judgmental. "Can you not Dad? We're going slow. I don't even know if our lifestyles will work together but we will try."

Robert raised his eyebrow at this. "Lifestyle?" He didn't like the sound of that.

Karen sighed and put down the rag she was holding. "Sarah, go call Jareth and Toby to come eat. Robert, we need to talk."

Karen steered her husband away from the kitchen and into another room. Robert had a bewildered look on his face. "Karen? What's going on?"

His wife folded her arms. "Look. When Sarah was a teenager, I wanted her to make friends and so I encouraged her. But the more I did it, the more she resented me and pushed me away. Now, she wants to bring in a young man _and_ without us asking her to! That's a huge step for Sarah! I can tell she really likes him."

Robert cocked his head to the side. "And? I want to get to know him! I haven't made any judgements on him at all you know."

Karen rested a hand on his arm. "I know you haven't. That's not what I mean. I mean Sarah won't like you meddling. Did you see her face when you said you didn't approve of her jumping from boy to boy? She was so embarrassed. Sarah hardly brings anyone home unless we ask her to. The fact that she's doing this on her own means she likes him and that she's willing to trust us. I've already made that mistake with her. Just be friendly and don't be weird about it."

Robert sighed and rested his head on the wall. "You're right. But I worry about her. She's my little girl, you know?"

"I know." Karen kissed his cheek. "Just be patient. Get to know him."

They walked back into the kitchen, arm in arm. Robert and Karen both smiled at Jareth showing Toby some magic tricks with, crystals?

"Jareth can do magic!" Toby said excitedly. "He's showing me how to juggle too!"

Jareth preened at the compliment.

"Don't compliment him too much, Toby." Sarah said. "You'll inflate his ego!"

"You wound me, Sarah." Jareth juggled the crystal and made it disappear into a scarf. "How was THAT trick?"

"Better, I suppose." Sarah resisted the urge to kiss him. He was so cute when he tried to impress her. If only he understood that he didn't to, because she loved him already.

"So, what do you do for a living?" Robert asked Jareth. "Did you go to a university?"

Jareth took a bite of pasta. "I currently am working as a UK ambassador in the US. I went to Oxford to study business and politics. Both have been useful but I'm not as interested in business, sir. For now, I'm enjoying where I'm at in being an ambassador and exploring the world a bit."

Most of what he said was true, except exploring as he hardly did that. Though now he had Sarah, that may change. He would love to travel the world with her. And he really go to Oxford, many many years ago.

"How great!" Karen said. "You seem to have done so much already. How old are you, Jareth?"

He and Sarah had decided on an age. "I am 28 years old, ma'am."

"And what do you like to do for fun?" Robert asked him. "Any nice hobbies?"

Jareth smiled. He had many hobbies, one tended to when they lived as long as his. So he picked a few. "I love to read, much like Sarah. I also love music and I used to have a garden back at home."

"Do you?" Robert's eyes lit up. He loved to garden and Sarah made sure Jareth knew this before they had dinner. "I love growing a garden! Do you garden flowers or fruits or vegetables?"

"All kinds!" Jareth exclaimed. "I do miss keeping one. I took up gardening because my mother was fond of them. I wish you could meet her and exchange stories about gardening. She passed when I was about five years old."

The parents didn't miss the moment of sadness that flickered in Jareth's eyes. He really loved and adored his mother.

Sarah couldn't help but reach over to hold his hand, not caring what her family thought. He was hurting and needed comfort. When he met her eyes, she said "Jareth, I'm sure she would be proud to know that you took up a favorite hobby of hers and how you think of her so fondly even after all these years."

Jareth squeezed her hand, grateful. Not for the first time, he wished he could let Sarah meet his mother. They would get along so well.

Robert had some inhibitions about Sarah dating anyone and even more so with someone 7 years older than her. Though she was a legal adult, she was still very young. But the moment Sarah reached over to hold his hand, he knew that there was something special between them. It made him happy to see that this Jareth could be vulnerable in front of Sarah. It was a sign of strength.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Robert said quietly. "That must be hard for you. Do you still have your father? Any siblings?"

Jareth sighed. "I have a father, yes. Or had. We had a falling out. He resented me for most of my life and I made the decision to cut him off. I have an older half sister who did the same thing to me. I couldn't deal with it anymore and they support certain things that I disagree with."

"Such as?" Karen asked.

Jareth started to open his mouth, but snapped it shut. He looked at Sarah and she gave him a look that showed what she was thinking. He agreed, and responded with "I don't think it would be appropriate to say in front of him but I don't mind saying later." He gestured to Toby.

Robert and Karen both looked at each other. What did this mysterious young man go through?

Sarah gave a nod at Jareth to let him know that he said the right thing.

"So, here's what I'm curious about." Karen folded her arms. "How did you two meet?"

Oh this question. The question that he and Sarah had argued about how to answer.

"He's the Goblin King!" Toby yelled. "Sarah ran his Labyrinth!"

"Oh that old story that Sarah loved to read!" Robert chuckled. "You and your imaginations."

"But it's true!" Toby pouted. "Jareth is the king!"

Robert motioned for Jareth and Sarah to answer.

"Actually," Jareth started. "There was a labyrinth involved. I was hosting a party in LA with my embassy and Sarah came over."

"And you were really mean." Sarah winked. "You kept being awful and tricking me and distracting me. Then you changed the clock so I had less time to do it just because I got mad at you and called you out!" She referred to when they met at the tunnels.

"Hey, and then what, you ruined a lot of props!" Jareth stared at her, referring to the goblin army. "It was only meant to distract and instead you ended up ruining so many things. Of course I was mad!"

"And I still made it through the allotted time, did I not?" Sarah leaned back, victorious.

Jareth sulked.

Karen leaned over to Robert. "I think he's a good match for her."

Robert made a noise of amusement. "I like him, but only time will tell."

And in that moment, Jareth couldn't remember when he felt more like he had a family. He felt safe and cared for. His Sarah was by his side, her parents loving him, and Toby adored him. Life was good.

Life was grand.


	8. Twenty-Two

"You'll do great." Professor Jameson smiled at Sarah. "Remember, you KNOW your stuff. If you get nervous or forget, you will still have your paper. And if you get really nervous, I'm here, watching you too."

Sarah twiddled her thumbs nervously. She had just arrived in New York City just a few days ago with her engineering professor to present on her project. As an undergraduate, she had won a traveling scholarship if she spoke about water engineering at Columbia University. If she impressed them enough, she could get a grant to build her design. She had never taken such a huge task before.

Jareth was most patient with her. She ran through her presentation and as head of state, Jareth made sure to ask her question government officials would ask her. Questions like the cost of construction and location. She even called her family and presented over the phone to them. It was handy having a bestfriend/boyfriend who understood the minds of politicians.

Back to the present, Sarah was adjusting her shirt collar. She had on very simple make up for confidence and black slacks. What also made her nervous was that most of the people there would be men. Most of them did not hold prejudices but Professor Jameson warned her that some would be against a young woman like her and to be ready. Even if she didn't have to worry about the prejudices, most of the people there would be experts in their field. It scared her that she might say something wrong in front of them. It was different in front of Jareth or her family as they understood nothing of what she was talking about.

"Carry yourself with confidence." Professor Jameson smiles at her. "You'll do great."

Sarah beamed at him. He was a kind man like her father. "Thank you, Professor."

"Now go and wow them all!"

It seemed to drag on forever until Sarah went up to present. She could've fainted from the amount of people staring at her, so she blurred her vision on purpose to not see their faces. "Good morning, everyone. I'm Sarah Williams. I'm an undergraduate student at UCLA studying civil engineering and today, I will be talking about water energy and sustainability."

She presented some designs of ways to use the ocean for energy that would also be safe for marine life. Along with her design, she also presented some math theorems to solidify her idea.

Presenting was easy. The questions were a little tougher. Lucky for Sarah, she answered most of them with grace from her preparation.

"Ms. Williams, could you go over why that design wouldn't hurt the larger fishes? In some places, seals are a common occurrence and we worry about them getting stuck in one of those machines."

"We have a problem with trash in the oceans. Is there a way to filter those out so the machine won't get clogged?"

"Where would be the best place to put this machine for the maximum amount of energy? It will have to be on US territory. Will the weather affect it? How could it be run?"

"What happens if the currents aren't as strong so the machine isn't powered as well?"

"And what of the materials? How would we repair them and still make this sustainable?"

"Wait I'm following your math but could you tell me how went from this derivative to this other derivative? I suggest showing more of your work in that area."

"Have you thought about not just using the ocean as a mechanical source of energy from its currents, but electrochemistry with all the salts floating around?"

It went much better than she had expected. Though she may not have been able to answer every question in the greatest detail, she gave a good enough answer of what she would hypothesize and the kind of research she'd have to do to answer them. It was a relief to say the least, when it was all over. She still had to present a mini model of her machine at an engineering fair. Then, she could have the rest of her spring break exploring New York City with Jareth.

It was almost more daunting to have her own station and to have people come up to her one on one to ask her questions for she was forced to look directly into her eyes instead of Professor Jameson. She wanted to flop over and faint from exhaustion, being up since 6am Eastern time but as she was coming from the west coast, it was as if she'd been awake since 3am.

"Almost done." She whispered to herself. "Almost done. Then I can go and see Jareth and we can have a wonderful time."

"I can't wait."

Sarah looked to her right and broke into the largest smile. Oh how she wished she could leap over the table and kiss her Jareth! He was dressed nicely, his hair styled shorter and to the side. It wasn't his real hair, just an illusion. He had on jeans with a a nice blazer over a grey button down shirt.

He took her hand and kissed it. "Hello, Precious." His smile was contagious.

Even a year after confessing her feelings to him, she still felt happy to see him and to have him kiss her. "I thought you said you wouldn't have time today to be here?"

"Correct." He said. "My meeting ended early, so our vacation can start as soon as you're done! How did your scholarship presentation go?"

Sarah bit her bottom lip as she smiled at him. "I did great! I don't know if I'll get the scholarship, but Jareth, I am so excited because no matter what, my presentation is a huge deal!"

He ran a finger down her model. "This is amazing indeed. I'm so proud of you, my Sarah."

He really was proud. His heart swelled at the thought of her and he struggled to not kiss her right then and there.

He tapped his fingers on the table and made as if to leave. "I won't take up any more of your time. I'll go see other exhibits and I'll circle back to you so you can meet others. I love you."

"I love you too, Jareth." She said as he left.

Sarah sighed. She just felt so dreamy around him. She could dance around in the clouds if she could from so much happiness.

"Oh my god, Sarah?"

Sarah blinked at a young man smiling sheepishly at her. He had sandy blonde hair and very bright kind grey eyes. He was muscular and had sun-kissed tan skin.

"Luke!" She smiled. "I haven't seen you in a while! How are you!"

"I'm good! Had no idea you'd be here." He said. He couldn't believe just how much more beautiful Sarah had gotten since the last time he saw her.

Back in her first year of school, she and Luke had some fun. All they did was kiss but it was enough to promise chemistry. It didn't really work between them though. Luke was a kind person but Sarah was too sensitive for him to be with. As for Sarah, dating Luke was always a question of "do I like him or do I like the thought of being liked by him?" Luke also decided to transfer to NYU which of course stopped that relationship all together. Eventually they broke it off but still remained nice.

"How have you been?" Luke came to hug Sarah, catching her off guard. He also planted a kiss on her cheek, which caused her to move back a bit. The only man who kissed her on the cheek as friends was Jareth.

"Uh, good." She stood back a bit, not wanting to stand too close but still wanting to catch up with a friend.

"Awesome!" Luke smiled. "As you know, I transferred to NYU. I wish I had been there for your presentation! Jameson said you did amazing!"

"Oh, did he?" She blushed, flattered. "That's very kind of him."

Not far off, Jareth was looking at another undergraduate's idea for a way to harness solar power in a battery. He put a finger to his lips and thought about what it would be like if people in his world weren't so dense and used technology humans could. Or at least, the ones who were without magic like dwarves or goblins (if they could be taught anyways). He had engineers and such, but most everything was so outdated even if they did work well. Maybe he and Sarah could change that.

He turned to go back to Sarah and caught her talking to a young man. Jareth watched her body language. It seemed that she felt safe with this boy and wanted to be his friend, but something felt off. He walked a little closer and his acute hearing picked up the words.

"Jameson is pretty cool. I do miss professors like him from UCLA. Hey, since you're in town, maybe we can go grab a drink or something? I missed you and maybe we can, oh I don't know, try again where we left off." Luke came and put his hand on Sarah's upper arm.

Just hearing those words and seeing him touch HIS Sarah sparked something possessive in Jareth. The logical part of his brain told him that it's SARAH, he had nothing to worry about. She loved him and would refuse Luke or would at least mention that she had a boyfriend. That part of his mind told him that he had no right to be possessive over her because he didn't own her and to trust her.

But the easier part of his mind to listen to, his emotions and insecurities, that part made it harder for him to do the right thing. That part told him to hold her close and fight anyone away. She was HIS girl and he had waited for six years for her to come to him. Now that he had her, he wasn't going to let some random college kid take her away from him.

Sarah blinked and moved away from Luke's hand. Luke made a disappointed face and just as Sarah was about to explain, she saw Luke's eyes go wide and she felt a kiss on the side of her neck.

"Hello, darling." Jareth's hair tickled down her face. "Who is this gentleman here?"

Sarah frowned. She was NOT having this with either men! She was at a conference! It wasn't professional and lucky for her, no one important was looking at them.

"Jareth, this is an old friend, Luke. Luke, this is my boyfriend, Jareth." She said tersely.

"Fiancé, actually." Jareth mumbled so only Sarah could hear. Of course, he had to push it. "But you know, don't tell him about us if you don't want. I'm just a random person." He put his hands on her hips.

Sarah turned around. "Jareth!" She glared at him now, and he just had a mocking look on his face speckled with anger and insecurities. What was wrong with him?

Luke exhaled uncomfortably and ran fingers through his hair. "Well, I should get going and find my professor. Nice to see you, Sarah. Nice to meet you, Jareth."

Sarah half heartedly reached after Luke, her face falling. She turned to Jareth, pinching her nose, trying to not get upset. He didn't even look the least bit guilty.

"What's gotten into you?" She hissed. "I was meeting a friend and you just had to act possessive. And fiancé? What the hell? We're not engaged."

Jareth's eyes changed from triumphant amusement at Luke's leaving to anger. "Excuse me? Are we not courting? Do we not to intend to marry one day when you are ready?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Well of course we are working towards that!" She huffed. "But I'm so young! That could take years!"

"But we WILL get there, will we not?" He asked incredulously, getting more and more upset by the minute.

"Yes we will." Sarah sighed. "But there's always a small possibility that it won't work out, which is why I'm not married to you yet. We have too many problems to work out first, as is clear from your possessiveness!"

Jareth pursed his lips so tightly, it was a straight line. "That _boy_ was a former flame of yours, was he not? And he was about to ask you on a date. He was touching you too!"

"If you had waited TWO seconds, you would have seen me tell him that I am currently in a relationship! Do you not trust me?" She was distraught at the way he was acting. He had never acted this way about her exes or even her current boyfriends while she was dating them. Did she even know him? Doubts began to fill her heart and it was the last thing Sarah wanted. She loved Jareth but she couldn't be with someone who was going to act this way.

Jareth looked as if he wanted to respond, but he decided against it. That logical part of his brain told him to leave her alone as directors of the meeting was coming to inspect her work. He loved her with all his heart and no matter how angry he was, he wasn't going to ruin her scholarship opportunities.

He took a deep breath. "Sarah, I shouldn't have acted that way. I'm sorry. Good luck on the rest of the day. I'll be waiting in the lobby."

"We are NOT done." Sarah seethed. "You don't get to unleash all of that on me and expect me to calm down."

Jareth made a fist and let it go, letting his anger out. Sometimes, she really tested his patience. Even if it was his own fault. "I am trying to be my better self. Please, Sarah. You know I love you, right? Even if I'm stupid?"

Hearing him call himself stupid made Sarah softened a bit. Still, she wasn't about to let him go. She nodded. "Okay, fine. I'll see you downstairs."

She turned away from him in anger and Jareth shook his head. He knew this was his fault so he just left.

* * *

Sarah presented well and luckily, was able to push thoughts of Jareth out of her mind enough to be able to show case her model to the different professors. She said goodbye to Professor Jameson and went to meet her temperamental boyfriend downstairs.

He stood up when he saw her walk in, a single red tulip in his hand. He looked at her shyly and Sarah took his flower, still not smiling at him.

"How did it go?" He tried to make small talk with her.

"It went great." She said in a clipped voice. "I'm hungry. Let's go eat."

Jareth offered his arm to her but she just walked passed him.

Jareth tried to not take this personally. After all, he snapped at her too but he had time to contemplate things. He was able to calm down and it was only fair that Sarah was able to have that chance too. No doubt she was still wound up by the directors asking her more questions.

He made sure to stay right next to her as they walked. Another reason she was probably upset was lack of food. Sarah did tend to get very cranky when she was hungry. An advice Karen had given him: always make sure to feed the girl. Not that he needed that advice after knowing her for several years.

"Sarah?" He called. "Darling, come have a rest. Let's eat some cheese pretzels. I remember you've been dying to eat some."

Sarah softened a bit at him being considerate and turned around to face him. He had offered his arm again in hopes of her taking it, and she accepted it.

Jareth breathed out a sight of relief when he finally felt her hand in the crook of his elbow. His heart soared when he saw her put the tulip in her hair. She was still mad but everything will be fine.

He approached the vendor, holding out some cash. "Two cheese pretzels please."

He lead Sarah to a nice bench and they sat and ate their respective pretzels. Sarah devoured it like a hungry animal as she hadn't eaten since very early. Jareth savored his, not ever eating it before.

"Oops." Jareth spilled a little on his pants and got cheese all over his finger. He licked them off and was about to clean up the mess on his pants but Sarah's hand automatically swiped at it and using magic, not leaving a trace.

She was now smiling sweetly at him. "You're such a messy eater."

Jareth smiled back, happy that she was finally being sweet. "Only you could turn that into a compliment."

She giggled and kissed his cheek. "You're adorable."

She moved her body closer to Jareth and rested her head on his shoulder. He in turn put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

They sat like that for a while, staring at the people walking back and forth, enjoying being so close together. They didn't really have as much time to just sit in silence as they did when she was younger, so this was quite a treat for them.

When enough time had passed, Sarah adjusting her body to face him. She intertwined her fingers with his hand that was on her shoulder and placed a hand on his thigh as a sign of comfort.

"Jareth," she began. "What's wrong? Don't hide from me. Something happened today."

Jareth closed his eyes and breathed. He started with the easy parts. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so angry and distracted you from your presentation and kissed you in that professional setting. I know I would have been upset if you were at council with me and kissed me. I'm glad no one of importance saw that."

Sarah gave a nod. "I do appreciate that. Though, I do think it would be much worse for me to kiss you at a council meeting as you are a king." She gave him a small smile. "But I think you know what I mean."

Jareth felt his face burn in shame. He shouldn't even be having this problem. He was so STUPID to be like this. He tuned his face and tried to withdraw his arm from her shoulder, but Sarah refused to let go.

"No." She said firmly. She touched his face with her free hand and tilted it towards her. She saw the shame etched on his face. Shame from his actions? Shame from showing his feelings? Shame from getting scolded by her? She wasn't going to know unless she asked him.

"Jareth." She caressed his cheek and met his blue eyes with her own green ones. His eyes were so sad and broken, it scared her. "Remember a few years ago, I made you promise to not close off? To talk to someone? To know that I'm always here for you? This is something between us, and to make this work, we need to talk. We will be living FOREVER and I plan on spending that immortality with you. Open your heart to me, my love."

She took his hand and kissed his fingers. "You know I've loved you for years? I started falling for you since we met."

Jareth looked even more in pain. It was a few treacherous moments as he pulled back a little. He rested his elbows on his knees. "Sarah, that's the problem. I should have been the one."

Sarah was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Jareth hoped she wouldn't beat him for what he was about to say but since he started, he couldn't stop now. "You say you've loved me or started to since you were 15? Why did you never tell me?"

He huffed in angry voice. "I should have been your first, your one and only. I should have held you in my arms in bed more than just your most desperate times. I should have kissed you and taught you how I could make you love it. I should have been the first to touch you when you made love for the first time. I should have been the first person you heard 'I love you' from. I should have been the one you woke up to every morning and called me love, and it should have started earlier than it did."

He shuddered a little now, hoping that she wouldn't push him away. "Why did you never tell me you felt for me? I hid away for years thinking that you thought of me as something less. I thought I wasn't any good for you. I was tortured, having you close but so far. Seeing you with other men and even encouraging it. Did you lie to yourself this whole time about your feelings? To me?"

Sarah couldn't believe her ears. THIS was why he got mad? Because of his own insecurities? Because Luke served as a reminder of the fact that she didn't choose him first?

It was easy to get angry, to blame him for also not telling her how he felt for her. It would be easy to scream and tell him that he had been with other people before her and that he was being hypocritical.

But, she thought about what she said earlier for him to open his heart to her. She couldn't get angry at him. Yes, he may have been unreasonable but she needed to see his heart.

Reaching over some more, she pressed her lips to his.

Jareth was surprise by this, but he wasn't about to waste an opportunity to kiss her. He caressed her lips with his and tried to pour his apology and love into the kiss. His hands came to her back and pulled her close.

After a bit, Sarah pulled away. She still had her hand in his hair and smiled sadly at him. "I had no idea you felt that way. You're so sweet for wanting the best for me."

Jareth beamed.

"However," She said sternly. "That's hypocritical. You yourself were with other women before you met me. You're experienced. And you didn't tell me how you felt about me; so that's on you too! I know you, Jareth. You're not sexist and you don't value virginity. So why do you care NOW about seeing an ex of mine? I'm not going to get close with him or anything. I would have refused him today and just left our conversation like that, amicable but now he may assume that I'm in a bad relationship with someone who is possessive over me."

She kissed his cheek. "I love you, and only you. It's not our first love that means the most but the one with whom we choose to take a chance of forever with."

Jareth's bottom lip trembled. Damn, he was so lucky to have Sarah in his life. He loved her so much. She was so right, none of HIS exes mattered to him. Sure he hoped they were well, especially the nice ones. But they were in the past. They taught him things just as you learn things from everyone you meet. Now, he was making a choice with Sarah. She was his everything.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I guess I was scared that maybe you wouldn't choose me again if you saw an old flame. Because now, you're mine and I'm yours. Back before we were together, I had no claim over you. I was worried that you'd miss this life that you can't have with me when we marry one day. But even if I was scared, it was the wrong reaction. I'd never want you to NOT have that choice. I want you to choose me because you want me and not because of fear or because you'd do whatever I told you to do. You have every right to say no for any reason even if it is to be back to your old life. Your independence is something that drew me to you, even when you rejected me back then."

Sarah put her hand to where his collar bone was and caressed his opened chest. "You're unbelievable, you know? Why would I choose anyone else over a king who loves me, respects me, does magic, and can give me my dreams?"

"And has an amazing sense of style." He teased. "And that I'm amazing in bed, as you well know." He bit his bottom lip and lifted his eye brows in a smolder.

Sarah laughed. She had contemplated making fun of him but he was too cute. "Oh you. Yes, all those things. I love you."

They shared a quick kiss. Jareth looked around and seeing that there wasn't a lot of people. "Might I change your outfit for the evening, dearest?"

Sarah perked up. "Oh yes! I really don't want to be wearing slacks the entire day. Magic is handy."

Jareth twirled his finger around. A stream of glitter flowed from his finger to envelope around her. Her slacks and white business shirt styled into a simple white dress with a black sash around the middle. He knew her style, simple and elegant rather than flashy like his.

Her hair was up in a bun and a few loose strands fell to frame her face. She also had on a pair of studs in her ears. On her feet were black converse because unlike Jareth, she was NOT adept in heels.

"Beautiful." He beamed. "Oh, a few more details."

He snapped his fingers. At first, Sarah noticed nothing until she moved. Her dress sparkled! He added glitter!

"Oh course you did." She hugged him and laughed into his neck. "Oh you."

They had a nice dinner at a Chinese restaurant, Michelin recommended even. Jareth loved it so much, he tipped them extra and even got some extra duck dumplings to go. Sarah loved the red bean buns and so they got some of that too.

Hand in hand, the couple walked to Central Park. It was beautiful at night. There was something about having such a nice place of nature in the middle of a big city. They could see the Empire State Building from where they were at.

"You look lovely." Jareth complimented his lady. "Just glowing."

Sarah leaned over and kissed his neck where she could reach. "I'm happy with you."

He held her tighter to his body.

They walked around the lake and marveled at the way the moon was reflecting. Sarah was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Jareth had left and came back. A small boat was approaching her and she saw him hand some cash to a man.

"A romantic boat ride, my Sarah?" He held his hand out to her.

Nothing made Sarah feel more like a lady than to take his hand and have him guide her into the boat. He rolled his sleeves back, showcasing his strong muscles. Sarah took in a sharp breath at seeing his beauty. No matter how many times she saw him, he always drew her breath away.

On they towed under the stars and the trees. Everything seem to come to life. Even the fireflies came to greet them.

Sarah held out a finger and surprisingly, one of these fireflies landed on it. It blinked and flew away after a moment. She bit her bottom lip and smiled at it joining its family.

Jareth's heart swelled as he watched fondly. "My dear, you have a gift to befriend anyone. Even fireflies." He kept on rowing, only vaguely paying attention as he was transfixed on his Sarah.

Sarah leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I have to be. I befriended the once lonely Goblin King."

"You aren't wrong there, love." He winked.

Sarah thought about how he did small things to make her smile. Now she wanted to as well.

She had been practicing on a small scale but now she wanted to finally try out a new trick for Jareth with her magic.

"I want to show you something." She said. Waving her arms, an invisible dome surrounded them from onlookers. She lifted her hands and felt the energy around her.

Jareth watched intensely, seeing what she was doing. Her magic wasn't developed enough yet for her to be able to do it without detection from magicians like himself so he knew that she had created a dome. He felt her reaching around her surroundings.

Sarah's eyes snapped open as she tugged in the water. Lifting her arms up, the water rose to great heights. Sparkling lights seemed to live in them, changing colors like fireworks. Sarah waved her hands as if conducting a symphony. Her face held deep concentration and passion for the unseen music in her head. Her body gave it all and she let he water lift them up to soar!

Jareth was awed to say the least. His mouth hung open as he watched her give him this spectacular show. It was beautiful, majestic, and totally her. Everything danced around him and he couldn't remember feeling this thrilled from seeing such display.

Sarah let one last explosion, spraying water all around them but not touching them. She gave Jareth a smile of satisfaction and love from her performance before fainting from exhaustion of using magic.

Jareth caught her just before her head smashed into the boat. He moved her so she was leaning into his chest as he rowed back. Oh, how he loved this girl who worked so hard to make him smile.

"You Precious thing." He nuzzled against her hair as he rowed back. "What do you say we call it a night so we can enjoy more exploring tomorrow, hmm?"

The only response he got was her drooling on his shirt.

* * *

They had spent the day at Liberty and Ellis Islands. Jareth was fascinated at the amount of immigrants that came to America and the constructions made. He also loved seeing Sarah absorb every single plaque and questionnaire that they almost missed their boat ride back. Not that it would've mattered since he could just transport them. She had insisted that they used the subway and walk unless they were that tired. Typical Sarah, wanting to do things as an independent woman. Still, he obliged her to go through the dirty, smelly subway and walked so much his feet were killing him.

They went shopping and exploring time square for a bit before heading to The Empire State Building for a masquerade ball. Sarah's mother, Linda, had heard that she and Jareth were in town and wanted to meet her daughter's "new" beau. Even though they had been together for more than a year.

"This is stupid." Sarah huffed in their hotel room. "I don't want to see her. Plus the masquerade ball too. Ugh."

Jareth sighed. "Then why are we doing this? Sarah we don't have to go."

Sarah took her clothes off and slipped on a dress. "Could you tie this corset up? Not too tight. And it's because I would feel bad if I didn't. It would be rude. My mother... she's still my mother."

Linda was a star at broadway. She had been an actress and part of Hollywood for some time before settling down with Robert. That didn't sit well with her and she divorced him, wanting parties and men all around her as well as attention. Sarah took the brunt of that pain. She had seen her mother as this angel and blamed herself and her father for not being able to keep her.

Part of her lesson from running the labyrinth was that "things aren't always as they seem." This was true with her family. Yes, Karen could be overbearing and annoying but all in all, she was a good person who cared about her. She didn't love Sarah as she loved Toby but Sarah wasn't going to hold that against her one bit. And, her father made mistakes in his first marriage but he tried his best and knew when to let go, something young Sarah was incapable of doing.

Linda wasn't an evil person. She just was not meant for motherhood. She should have taken care of Sarah and lived up to her bad marriage but instead she stayed jealous and rude. She saw Sarah less of a daughter and more of a friend or someone to show off. In fact, they had a large row when she found out Sarah wasn't going into acting anymore and refused to pay any part of her college tuition. Not that she needed it between her father and her own jobs. Sarah knew she wasn't cut out for acting professionally but she was a part of school drama clubs sometimes. When Linda came to watch, she would clap and praise her until someone said Sarah had the potential to be "as good as Linda Williams herself." That made Linda angry and it caused a rift between them.

Jareth knew all of this and he didn't want to push it. He had centuries to disown his father and sister and Sarah shouldn't ever have to do that if she didn't have to. He'd rather she have mediocre memories of Linda than pain. When he finished tying up her corset in their hotel room, he caressed her hips and kissed her neck. "I understand, my love. I suppose we do have to to the ball, seeing as she gave us free tickets to Phantom of the Opera tomorrow."

In this season's production, Linda was Carlotta, the Italian Diva who Christine would replace in shows. Sarah found the resemblance uncanny. No doubt Linda was good at her acting but the role was MADE for her as she was a diva herself.

Sarah beamed. "I can't wait to see it. It's one of my favorite musicals AND I love the book. Are you going to wear the mask tonight?"

Jareth dressed more or less like himself. He had on a black glittery cape over 18th century clothing and fitted a half mask on the right side of his face. "Of course. Though a mask covers my dashing good looks." He winked.

Sarah kissed him. "You'd make a great Phantom! How's my outfit?"

She wore a blue dress from the same time period, dressed as Christine Daaé while Jareth as Erik, the Phantom. He had considered Raoul but Sarah liked the air of mystery that he held and felt Phantom was more appropriate even though she did prefer Christine with Raoul.

"Besides," He said teasingly. "I thought you liked masquerades. It was our first ball and your 16th birthday party."

"Don't remind me of the 16th birthday one." She almost gagged. "I only liked the part where you cuddled me."

"And dancing." Jareth held his arm out, winking. "Dancing is always a pleasure."

Sarah rolled her eyes.

They walked to the Empire Stare building and Sarah never felt a like a rich kid. She handed the man two silver tickets and went upstairs with Jareth.

The ballroom was grand and she heard the song "Masquerade" from the musical streaming through. This was to be Linda's going away party for tomorrow was her last show with her understudy taking over as the new Carlotta. Like the Diva she was, she HAD to have attention and make a masquerade ball in her own honor. It would have been more fitting to have thrown the party AFTER her last performance but Linda always wanted to go all out, making sure every news source knew about it so when she was done tomorrow evening, everyone would swarm out to greet her.

"Pretentious are we?" Sarah mumbled. It wasn't cheap to get such a space in New York City. Fine caviars and other foods were on trays, making their way back and forth to serve the party goers.

"Maybe." Jareth shrugged. "But hey, free food for us!" He reached over and grabbed a plate of cheese and crackers. "Have some, love."

Sarah huffed at the food but made sure she touched Jareth's arm so he knew that she wasn't mad at him and will thought him sweet. "Thank you, Jareth. I just hate how free food or free anything is usually given to those who already have so much."

Jareth held her hand and sat her down on a table. "I understand. It isn't that way in my kingdom though, at least where I can help it. I can't choose what my subjects do with their own wealth."

Sarah picked up one of the crackers and popped it in her mouth. "I know. You're an amazing king. I only hope one day I can live up to being a good queen too."

Jareth nuzzled at her neck, which was quite tame considering what a lot of the other people around them were doing. He loved it when she mentioned their future. "My love, you will make the finest queen. Yes don't give me that look, even more than my mother. She was kind but she wasn't able to do much due to her short life. Don't you worry."

Sarah rested her hand on his knee. "You are too kind. You know, if you didn't rule a bunch of goblins, I'd seriously have a conversation with you about a democracy."

Jareth rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't disagree with a kingdom made up of, say, elves. But when you have goblins, they can't take care of themselves. Hell, they'd probably light themselves on fire again if I wasn't. My other subjects can revolt against me should I become a bad king though. Why on earth they never did with my father is beyond me."

Just as Sarah was about to respond to their deep political conversation, a familiar face came her way. She instantly recognized his soft blue eyes under his dashing hair that was swept to the side.

Sarah kissed Jareth's cheek. "My mom's boyfriend is coming! Give me a moment to say hi."

Jareth squeezed her hand. "Will do, love."

"Jeremy!" She called out with a smile. She stood as he came to her with open arms.

"Sarah! Oh how are you sweetheart?" He embraced her and per their tradition, they kissed each other's cheek.

Sarah pulled back and lifted his mask up. "Oh, I'm well! Ah, I need to introduce you to my boyfriend, Jareth!"

"A boyfriend?" Jeremy chuckled. "You really have grown! It's been so long since I've seen you last." He stroked his chin. "Funny, I've not heard the name Jareth around here either... I do hear it where my hometown is though..."

"It's been two years since I last saw you, Jeremy." She held up two fingers. "And why didn't you know about Jareth? Wouldn't Mom have said?"

Jeremy took in a deep breath. "I suppose your mother didn't tell you that we had broken up a long time ago?"

Sarah blinked. Seriously? One of the good things about Linda was that at least she found a nice man like Jeremy who was sweet to Sarah. He was a doting beau and she just couldn't believe it. "No she didn't. I didn't know any of this... might I ask when? And you were invited here?"

Jeremy put his hand on her elbow and walked them to where Sarah said Jareth was. "About a year and a half ago. She and I just... we didn't get along. I'm invited because I'm still a part of broadway and I'm acting in Les Miserables. I hope though that you and I can remain amicable even though she and I aren't together."

Sarah snorted at the thought of Linda. "Jeremy, you were one of the highlights with my mom. You treated her and me well. Of course we can remain friends! I shouldn't be surprised though. She's a diva and you were never that kind of person. Not to mention her once being a big star doesn't help you at all with privacy. Oh! I still have the music box you gave me, the one where she's wearing a ball gown."

Indeed, Sarah had dreamed of the ballgown as a child. She thought the music box had the prettiest dress and it must've affected her mind when she wore it for her first dance with Jareth. Jeremy had shown her kindness she did not receive from her mother and it stuck with her.

Jeremy patted her shoulder as if a father would to console and thank his child. "You are too kind, Sarah. And no, lack of privacy doesn't help. I really cared for your mother for years. It just wasn't going to work. And as for the music box, I am honored that you have treasured it this long."

"I see." She sighed. "And of course! Jareth himself is fond of it too. He thinks it's cute."

That was true. When he saw the music box, he was so pleased to see where she got her inspiration from and had a duplicate made. Though this time, he added HIS song, As the World Falls Down.

Sarah reached the table and gave Jareth a quick and polite kiss on the lips, struggling to not make out with him right then and there. His lips were just so soft and inviting. Jeremy sat next to them.

"Jareth, this is Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Jareth."

Sarah did NOT expect the two men to be staring at each other in such surprise. Jareth's eyes were wide and Jeremy's mouth hung open.

"No way." Jeremy breathed out.

"My god." Jareth stood up so fast he knocked his chair over.

Before Sarah could react, the two men embraced like family. In fact, they looked so similar, they almost could be...

"I had no idea you were even alive!" Jareth bit his knuckles and let out a hollow laugh. "But I'm glad you are!"

"And you!" Jeremy looked over Jareth. "You're looking so well. How is the kingdom? How is your life?"

Then, as if just remembering Sarah was there, he darted his eyes at her and Jareth waved dismissively. He motioned for Jeremy to sit back down and he put his arm back around Sarah. "No need to worry about Sarah. She knows all about me and my magic. She actually wished Toby away to me when she was 15!"

"Really? You couldn't have just said we're dating and that I knew all about you being king and can do magic?" She sounded bored but a smile was creeping on her face.

Jeremy laughed. "Oh, classic Sarah. I suppose that wasn't long after you and I met. Maybe a year or two."

"We have much to catch up on." Jareth smiled at him. "But first, I think we owe Sarah an explanation."

"Yes you do." Sarah said quietly. Her head was still spinning. Did Jeremy have magic? Where was he from? It made a lot of sense now that she thought about it. His quirky ways were like a lot of Undergrounders and how her mother said she basically gave him everything and was able to get him to audition and such. How did she not see it before?

Jeremy reached out to pat her hand. "My dear, Jareth and I are distant relatives. I'm his mother's second cousin."

Sarah's mouth hung open. "You guys are WHAT?"

"Yes." Jareth said. "He and I weren't as close as we could be as my mother's family didn't visit often because of my father, but we knew each other and we formed what seemed to be a strong bond." He smiled at Jeremy. "He was like an uncle to me."

Sarah looked closely and saw that he looked like an older version of Jareth, though it never occurred to Sarah before as Jareth's hair and make up was so distinctive. It was amazing that they were that distant of relatives.

"No way! how did you end up here? Do you have magic because I have magic now!" She asked Jeremy.

At this, Jeremy's face fell. He shook his head. "I was exiled."

"Not of your own fault though." Jareth hissed. "Ingrid's stupid husband did that to you."

"Wait what?" Sarah gasped. This was all such a shock to her.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow at Jareth. "You mean to say you never mentioned your nephew to her?"

Jareth wrung his hand awkwardly. "I don't talk about my family that much. And besides, it wasn't your fault."

"Jareth disowned Ingrid and Raynard." Sarah pipped up quietly.

It was now Jeremy's turn to stare at Jareth. "You did? Not that it's a bad thing but oh lord so much has happened in the ten years I've been gone." He massaged his forehead. "I suppose it's only right that Sarah knows." He looked so awkward that Jareth put a hand on him to stop.

"I'll tell it for you. I know it's hard." He told him quietly. "Sarah, ten years ago or so, Ingrid was pregnant. Of course, while she gave up the throne, she wanted her would be son to be able to have a claim to my throne. I refused because I said I would not let anyone have the throne unless I saw fit, even my own child. It's a law I drew up with the approval of my kingdom, so you recall?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, to prevent anyone from doing what your father and sister did."

"Very good." He gave a nod. "Well, one day Ingrid and her husband came over furious that I wouldn't give their son a claim to it. I said that fine, if they were insistent, then he needed to learn the ways of the kingdom with ME and not them. Ingrid may have learned to be queen but she did a terrible job at being responsible."

"A reasonable request from Jareth." Jeremy chimed in. "All he asked was a certain amount of time with the boy to prepare him. More than generous."

"So what does Jeremy have to do with any of this?" Sarah asked.

Jeremy smiled at her. "Patience my dear. He's getting there."

"As I was saying," Jareth continued. "Ingrid wouldn't allow it. She said that she would train her son. I got mad and said then he would have no claim. She never comes to the kingdom except for large events. To be able to be a good king of a country, I believe you have to experience it as well as study it. Jeremy happened to be there, visiting me. He overheard the conversation and came to defend me. As he was not of royal blood, he was seen as a nuisance. Ingrid's husband shot some magic at us and Jeremy defended me."

"And I became a killer." Jeremy choked. "Or as good as one. It was an accident. Her husband's magic would have rendered Jareth paralyzed from the neck down for at least a year. I was so angry, I shot magic back at him. But it hit Ingrid. And as she was pregnant, the child died so she miscarried."

He lowered his head in shame, refusing to meet Sarah's eyes.

The human girl moved her chair over and gave him a hug. "Jeremy please don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault."

Sarah felt a few drops of warm tears on her shoulders. He pulled away and wiped his eyes. "Thank you dear. But the child they were carrying, Ingrid was so far along already and he was an I nnocent. Of course, they wanted retribution. Your Jareth here didn't like that-"

"Damn straight." The king growled. "Of course I mourned the loss of the child but they came into MY kingdom to demand ME for the throne and then they tried PARALYZE me so it was their own fault!"

"Quiet down, Jareth." Jeremy said sternly. "We don't want any eavesdroppers."

Jareth just pouted like a child and mumbled about how it wasn't fair he was being lectured in front of his girlfriend.

"As I was saying," Jeremy continued. "They wanted retribution. Per their own laws, even in an act of defense, I was found guilty."

"Of course you were." Sarah pouted just like Jareth. "Their kingdom is corrupt. So that's why you were exiled?"

"I made a bargain." Jareth answered her. "They wanted his imprisonment or his death. I said no. Jeremy suggested that he go Above without magic and be human. Ingrid would make sure that I cannot find him with magic. It was awful but Jeremy said he wanted it. I obliged for him, for the alternative was worse."

"I felt like a baby." Jeremy sighed. "I knew of humans but the technology had improved so quickly. I had been an actor Underground and I tried to audition for different things. Your mother found me eventually and helped me. I fell for her and I dated her as long as I did because I loved her and a sense of obligation for what she did for me."

"That's stupid though." Sarah was frank. "Mom cheated on you and you don't owe her anything. She helped you yeah but you didn't have to slave away for her."

Jeremy gave her a sad smile. "I know. And you know about Underground relationships. Adults don't go into them or break them off easily. Flings are one thing but relationships are different. Your mother never would have married me but I wanted to believe she'd change her mind. When she cheated, I was devastated. When I had enough of her, I left."

"Does she know about your real story?" Sarah asked, alarmed.

Jeremy shook his head. "Heavens no! I claimed I was a Brit who was lost and she helped me. Ingrid at least gave me fake immigration papers, thank god. My acting skills were good enough for them to grant me a visa to stay for work. I'm promised a life here in America basically."

"I wish I could bring you back with me." Jareth looked like he was about to cry. "I've missed you so much."

Jeremy came over to embrace him. "There there, you are such a good person. I've missed you too but you know you can't do this. It's against the law to bring me back unless you petition Ingrid."

"I'm aware." Jareth said dryly. "But now that I've found you, I want to keep in touch. You may not be allowed underground but I will make sure that you will be a part of my life again and I'll take care of you until you die."

Jeremy squeezed Jareth's hand. "I would love that. And besides, I'm happy here, truly. Just a secret for you two, I've started to meet this lady and she's lovely!"

"Oh how wonderful!" Sarah beamed. If anyone deserved to be happy in love, it was Jeremy for putting up with her mother.

"Speaking of love, I need to hear YOUR story." Jeremy leaned back. "Tell me everything! And Jareth, your hair is just as bad as always. Your mask also doesn't help hide it."

"Whatever." Jareth took off the half mask. "You're so bossy."

"Says you!" Sarah retorted. "You're the bossy one!"

"You two are the perfect match." Jeremy smiled. "I've known Jareth since he was born and Sarah before adolescence. Am I glad you both found each other. Amazing how our lives are entwined like this!"

Sarah kissed Jareth's cheek and put a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "You two catch up. I'll get some champagne for all of us." She wanted to give them a moment of privacy first.

She found the champagne and was about to bring the whole tray back to them when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, a beautiful woman with startling grey eyes was looking right back at her.

"Sarah! Good of you to come!" Linda kissed the air above her cheek. "Come! Let's sit and talk!"

Sarah tried to not groan. Her mother greeted her like another one of her guests, not as her daughter.

Linda lead her to some of her friends and cast members who all politely said hello.

"So this is Sarah." One of her friends said. "You look just like your mother! You could be twins!"

"You flatter me, Amy!" Linda waved.

Sarah groaned inwardly. Linda was almost never around anyone of true substance. It was annoying.

"You must tell me your skincare routine!" Another said. Sarah resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her mother used Botox and had multiple plastic surgeries. Not that she judged anyone who did but to pretend that her beauty was the result of nature or genetics would be a lie.

On and on they yapped. Sarah zoned out and smiled here and there, wanting to see Jareth and Jeremy as quickly as she could. Then a question came up to her that caught her attention.

"Sarah so you want to be an engineer?" One man asked her. "That's a waste of a pretty face you know. Be a model or something instead."

Sarah was appalled and didn't even skip a beat. "Oh? Do you say that to good looking men who become engineers too?"

She had nothing against models of course. It was the fact that no one would have said this to a man and call him a waste.

"And besides," she continued. "Isn't it a waste for my brain to NOT go into engineering?"

The man glared but the lady next to him laughed. "Linda, I LIKE your girl! Your mother said you had an engineering presentation at Columbia, yes?"

"Yes I did!" Sarah was excited. "It was about-"

"Oh honey no one wants to hear that." Linda dug her nails into Sarah's arms and whispered in a sweet voice laced with acid. "Don't be so boring."

"But she asked me." Sarah said in a small voice. Once again, she wanted to seek approval from Linda only to be dismissed as boring.

"Your daughter is so smart!" Another friend chimed. "She'll be smarter than you soon! Not to mention that she looks like a younger version of yourself. Be careful that she doesn't attract any men that you have your eyes on, Linda!"

Linda didn't like that. She smiled sweetly but she dug her nails even more into Sarah's arm. Sarah was paralyzed as her mother hissed at her. "Look what you've done. You little slut, always needing to outdo your mother! We all know you're younger and smarter. Leave this one thing for me."

Sarah felt herself burn with anger. "You are so full of jealousy and hate!"

"What are you two talking about?" Another friend asked. "Sarah dear? Do you have a boyfriend at the moment?"

Linda gasped. "Oh how rude of me! You did say you were going to bring someone! Where is he? James you said his name was?"

"Jareth." Sarah said in a clipped voice. "And yes he's here." They has been dating for A YEAR and Linda still couldn't get his name straight.

"Well let's go meet him!" Linda practically dragged Sarah away from her crowd.

On the way to Jareth and Jeremy, Linda hissed at Sarah. "Don't you DARE ruin this night for me. I'm generous to invite you and your stupid boyfriend here."

Sarah said nothing. If she did, she'd get into an argument where there was no end. Right before they got there though, she grabbed some champagne and cocktails. She was going to need some.

Linda's eyes widened at the sight of Jareth. Sarah was about to ask where Jeremy went when she saw her mother, in her sparkling purple gown with a large slit sway her hips to where Jareth was. Oh boy.

"Well hello. You look lonely." She crooned

Sarah wanted to gag. Linda wasn't always this brazen. What the hell happened to her and how did her father and Jeremy fall for her? Maybe age made her confident to the point of arrogance.

"I'm not." Jareth said, frowning at Linda. No wonder Sarah disliked her so much. "You have my girlfriend on your arm." He smiled at Sarah and kissed her fingers. "Hello, Precious."

Linda blinked. "Oh, well it's a good thing you have us two ladies to join you!"

She turned to Sarah. "I'm not even mad. He's a good catch!"

Sarah grinned. If only she knew!

Linda plastered on a fake smile at them both. Sarah felt insecure at her gaze. She always judged Sarah in front of people she cared about. She didn't even sit next to Sarah but to Jareth instead!

Jareth could see the tension in Sarah's face. His poor love was struggling to not scream in anger or cry in frustration. He also really wasn't liking Linda. She was flirty with her daughter's boyfriend as if that wasn't creepy enough.

"How did you two manage to meet?" Linda asked. "Sarah hardly does ANYTHING with her free time so to find such a catch is really rare for her! Not to mention that she jumps from guy to guy. Honey, I hope you won't be an idiot with this one!"

Sarah couldn't believe it. Why did her mom always have to do this in front of friends or relatives? The only people she didn't act this way in front of, were Robert and Karen. Her heart sank, thinking about how every one of her exes left her because there was something wrong with her. Not that she cared about them but what of Jareth? Would he leave to?

Jareth was getting quite sick of her. Linda had begun to stroke his arm and Jareth smoothly snatched it away to instead tuck a strand of Sarah's hair behind her ear in an attempt to comfort her. He felt her breathing slow at his touch, a sign that it was working.

"Sarah and I have been friends for a while." Jareth said, still looking at Sarah. "And to me, no other woman would compare. No other person has made me so happy, so free. Her past doesn't matter as I have my own. Sarah told me that it's not who our first loves are but who we choose to spend our lives with that matters. And I will make sure to treasure her for as long as I live."

He kissed Sarah's forehead. "I love her with every part of me."

Sarah's eyes were wet from tears that threatened to form. Jareth had said these things of course but only to her. It was their thing, but to hear him say it when her mother was belittling her, well, that was everything.

Linda sat there, sipping more champagne. Her eyes had on a glassy look and Sarah moved closer to Jareth, afraid of her mother.

Linda smiled the fakest smile she could. Which was saying something as she was an actress. "Well, I'm glad to hear that my daughter has found happiness when I couldn't. Pity, I thought better of you, Sarah, to let me find my happiness before yours as I am older."

Sarah breathed out so angrily, she could've been a dragon. "Seriously? You are a mother. Shouldn't you be happy for your child before your own happiness? At least Karen cares about me, as misguided as she can be at times."

Oh the tension! Linda was now glaring at Sarah and gripping her wine glass so tightly, it was amazing it didn't break. Linda was so possessive that she hated every one of her exes and the women they got with after her, including Robert. According to her, if she couldn't have them or even if she dumped them, they didn't have a right to be with anyone else. By mentioning Karen, Sarah knew she struck a nerve.

Shaking a little, Sarah sipped her champagne in an attempt to look suave. Having Jareth's arm around her helped quite a bit.

To her surprise, Linda laughed. "Sarah, you really have gotten sassier. Jareth, tell me, you are dressed as the Phantom tonight. Can you sing as him?"

"I can sing Music of the Night, though All I Ask of You is a more romantic song." Jareth said.

Linda wasn't even paying attention. "I know Sarah can't sing! It's a shame my only child didn't even inherit my singing abilities. And to dress as Christine was a mistake, honey."

"Good thing I inherited dad's brains instead of yours and besides, you would have been jealous if I could sing. I bet Jareth can sing better than you ever could!" Sarah's eyes were now in flames. Linda had never insulted her this much in such a short time before.

"See? The sass!" Linda patted Sarah's head like she was a toddler. She turned back to Jareth. "Why don't you sing for us?"

"Uh - ME?" Jareth asked incredulously. He looked at Sarah for help.

"Oh yes!" Linda clapped her hands. "Don't tell me you can't sing. You'll at least be better than Sarah."

Sarah just rolled her eyes.

Before Jareth could respond, Linda had gotten up to the microphone and tapped on it to get everyone's attention.

"Oh lord." Sarah whispered.

"Good evening everyone!" Linda welcomed. "Tonight, I have a very special guest! My daughter has been kind enough to bring her boyfriend who claims he can sing. My dear Jareth, come here and sing Music of the Night for us!"

Sarah tugged in Jareth's arm. "Jareth, she isn't worth one upping. Please."

Jareth could've been annoyed but he kissed Sarah instead. "My love, you know I can sing this song. I bet Linda would've tried every way to embarrass you. Well, let me show her that I am not to be shamed and embarrassed!"

He would not let Linda humiliate him or his Sarah. Hell, he didn't even let Sarah humiliate him let alone some singing diva! He'll show HER!

If he was honest with himself, Jareth really wanted a chance to sing in front of a large crowd where he was almost a nobody. As a king, he had no idea if people were being kind to him or not. With his phantom mask, he could conceal much of his face. He longed to wow an audience who didn't care for him.

Flipping his cape, Jareth gracefully walked to the front. His commanding presence made everyone turn to him in respectful silence. Only the sound of his heeled boots clicking on the marbled floor could be heard.

He reached the stage and put his hand up to Linda, refusing the microphone. As sign of either arrogance or confidence as it meant he would have to belt out louder than the orchestra.

He looked straight on and he could see Jeremy walking towards a white faced Sarah. He put his hand protectively on her elbow and Jareth smiled. It was nice to know that a family member of his was back in his life and would protect his future queen. It was also nice to know that Jeremy had been protecting her before even himself met Sarah.

He nodded at the orchestra (seriously how pretentious was Linda?) and opened his mouth to sing with all his being.

_Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation_

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination  
Silently the senses abandon their defenses_

_Helpless to resist the notes I write_

_For I compose the music of the night_

Sarah felt breathless as she stared at Jareth. He was singing so deeply and eyes just for her. His arms lifted and belted his deep voice in the most amazing vibrato.

_Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor_

_Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender_

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day_

_Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light_

_And listen to the music of the night_

As he was singing the second verse, Jareth watched as Sarah walked up to him, hypnotized almost. It wasn't of his own doing, for he wasn't using any magic. It was the love and charm she felt for him that her forward.

She looked as if she was almost glowing as she walked towards him. Jareth held his hand out to her and she touched him.

_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams_

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before_

_Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar_

_And you'll live as you've never lived before_

Sarah was in love. She knew he wasn't using magic when she walked up to him. It was her own body and mind doing it. She always found her goblin king irresistible. How could she now, with him singing such a seductive song to her?

_Softly, deftly, music shall caress you_

_hear it, feel it, secretly possess you_

_Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind  
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight  
The darkness of the music of the night_

He wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled her in a circle before catching her, his breath on her neck. Sarah closed her eyes in a trance as her chest heaved up and down.

_Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world_

_Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before_

_Let your soul take you where you long to be_

At that sharp note, Sarah almost fainted from want. He just sang so magnificently.

_Only then can you belong to me_

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication_

_Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation_

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in_

_To the power of the music that I write_

_The power of the music of the night_

_You alone can make my song take flight_

_Help me make the music of the night_

They barely heard the crowd clapping and giving him a standing ovation. All they knew was their hands around each other. Jareth leaned and gave Sarah a quick kiss, one that was appropriate enough in public but promised more in bed later that night.

"I love you, my angel of music." Sarah breathed out.

"And I you, My Precious thing." Jareth whispered. "I want to be both the Phantom and Raoul to your Christine."

"So all the passion and devotion Erik has. Challenging society as he does, but with the sweetness and loyalty that Raoul has?" Sarah asked him.

"Yes." Jareth responded. "And I would love you as you are like Raoul does but worship you as Erik does."

They didn't even realize they were walking down the steps, her hand on his arm when Jeremy approached them.

He just stared at Jareth. "I had no clue you could sing that well. Heavens Jareth! You could be a rockstar or act if you ever stopped being king!"

Sarah wrapped her arm around Jareth's waist. She was the proudest girlfriend in the world. "He's amazing isn't he? And did you two catch up?"

"We certainly did!" Jareth answered. "I gave him a summary but I did promise to go into more detail some other time. Then he went to the bathroom right before you came back."

"What took you anyways?" Jeremy questioned. "You were gone a while."

Sarah looked down, trying to hide tears. Memories of the night cake flooding back. "My mom."

Jeremy didn't need to hear any more to know what she was talking about. Jareth released her from his arms so Jeremy could kiss her forehead and give her a one arm hug with a shoulder rub. "Sweetie, I understand. Don't let her bother you."

"What is going on here?"

All three looked to see Linda looking magnificently angry. She looked as if she had been scorned and glared at Sarah with the most hate.

Both men flanked Sarah protectively as she shrank from her mother in fear. Even though Linda was awful, years of trying to get her love was too difficult to forget. Even now, Sarah wanted Linda to look at her with pride only a mother could.

"What is going on?" Jeremy questioned, folding his arms. "Just because you and I have broken up, doesn't meant you can ruin my relationship with Sarah!"

"So that's what it's all about, isn't it?" Linda screeched. "It's revenge! You can't have me so you pick my harlot of a daughter instead!"

She turned her head back at Sarah. "And YOU. You think that just because you're an adult that you can disgrace me! How dare you try to get with a man who was once mine? How dare you side with him?"

"Hold up." Jareth held his hand to her face. "Did you just imply that Sarah is having a relationship with Jeremy? You are disgusting!"

"He kissed her and in front of your face!" Linda scoffed and pointed at Jeremy.

Sarah couldn't handle it. She stepped forward and smacked Linda's finger from Jeremy's face, standing between them. "Just because you can not comprehend a love that isn't of a romantic or sexual of nature doesn't mean Jeremy can't! You brought me here to boost YOUR self esteem and when people try to praise me for my own merits, you have to take them down!"

She glared at Linda even more. This was the point of no return. Sarah knew that once the words left her mouth, she would never repair her relationship with Linda. "You've caused NOTHING but pain to all you knew! You left Dad and me without any dignity or care. You won't own up to your mistakes and blame everyone else. Nothing is enough for you. You're always being so jealous of everyone. I suppose you're proof that money can't buy class."

Jeremy stared at her in awe. Never in the time he had known both of them had he seen Sarah stand up to Linda as she was now. He felt this pride towards her as a father would to his daughter.

Jareth could almost feel the burn Sarah had thrown at her mother. He so wanted to kiss her and call her his girl for being so brave and for finally standing up for herself.

Linda took in a sharp breath. Tears began to fall from her face.

"Don't manipulate her." Jeremy growled. "Don't you dare use your fake tears!"

Linda ignored Jeremy and placed a gentle hand on Sarah's face, the latter flinching but not moving away. Her grey eyes bore into the emerald green ones and she leaned to kiss Sarah's cheek. She stroked Sarah's face in feign love.

"Oh honey." She whispered. "You are still so young, so naive. No one loves you more than I do."

Sarah was in a trance as Linda pulled her close for an embrace. "I carried you for nine months. I fed you from my own breasts until you were a year old. I made sure you never went hungry, though your father would have been fine with you. I invite you to my group of friends and tried to give you what I had."

She pulled Sarah away from her. Her eyes were back to be angry. "Instead, you betray me. You don't listen to me and you side with my ex. You call me these terrible things and act like I'm the bad guy. You were a burden and it's why you and my father broke up."

She turned Sarah over and pointed at Jareth. "Do you honestly think that THIS man right here would love you for life? Marriage is a scam! You need to take when you can! You stupid girl. You have this stupid idea that he's some sort of Prince Charming that will sweep you off your feet because he says nice words."

"Mom please stop." Sarah whimpered. Her fear was rising now.

"How many women do you think HE has slept with?" Linda demanded. "How many times do you think it'll happen? What happens when you get older like me? He will leave you for someone younger as all have left me. You are not that beautiful or that experienced in bed. You think you can keep someone but you intimidate them with your mind and stories and your engineering degree!"

Sarah watched as Jeremy reached out and grabbed Linda's shoulder. His eyes were bright with indignation. "You have gone far enough! Leave her alone!"

Linda ignored him. "You will curse the day you betrayed me! You will someday be alone and hurt and you will know that I am right, that you will die alone! NEVER SEE ME AGAIN!" She spat at Sarah, slapping her for good measure.

Everything happened so fast. Jeremy yanked Linda back, Sarah fell while crying and Jareth's hand came to Linda neck. He whispered a spell and Linda fainted.

"Jareth!" Sarah yelled as Jeremy came to her side, wiping off the spit from her face and asking someone for ice for the slap.

"It's okay." Jeremy whispered. "He didn't hurt her, he just knocked her out and the best way is to touch the neck."

Jareth tried so hard to not choke Linda to death. He promised himself to not lose control in anger after what he did to Ingrid and Raynard. Linda was manipulative and hurtful to his Sarah for so long and now it would be her last.

While she was ranting, he thought about the best way to execute a punishment for her. He had vowed to be a better man so throwing her in the bog would be out of the question. No, it would have to hurt but not enough to make it permanent.

Then, he had it. The perfect plan!

Placing his hand on her back, he let a surge of energy envelope her. It was over as quick as that. Still knocked out, he carried her and called for some help. Though, she would fine. In no time, she would wake up.

"You will never hurt Sarah again. That I can promise." He growled.

Sarah was still in Jeremy's arms, shaking from that happened and mourned her relationship with Linda that no doubt ended right there. Jeremy whispered some soothing words to her then handed her to Jareth once he was able to.

"Is she okay?" Sarah asked her love. She leaned into him as he held her close to him.

"She'll be fine." Jareth said. He wasn't going to tell her all he did just yet. His priority was Sarah. "Right now, I think I should take you back." He wasn't sure if Sarah would be mad about what he did and wanted to wait before making her mad again. She had suffered quite a bit tonight.

Sarah knew she should ask what Jareth did to her mother, but honest to god, she was so tired and needed love so much that she just whispered his name and snuggled against him.

Jeremy put a hand on Jareth's shoulder. "You have a special lady right here, my boy. You are a king and she will make a fine queen. You still have obstacles ahead of you so be patient but all will be well."

Jareth inclined his head. "Thank you, Jeremy, for your wise words."

Jeremy gave Jareth a kiss on the cheek and handed him a piece of paper with some numbers on it. "Call me sometime, won't you? Write to me as well."

Jareth kissed Jeremy back. "Of course. I'm so glad to have seen you again. Thank you for everything you've done for me and for Sarah. I will call soon. For now, I will take care of my lady."

* * *

Jareth made sure to take care of his Sarah. Lifting her up, he placed her on the bed and kissed her forehead. She had only spoken a few words to him about wanting to take care of herself but he insisted that it made him feel better to take care of her. She was so emotionally weak she didn't even argue.

Later that night, after they were asleep, he tried to feel for Sarah's body, but she was gone. Looking around, he saw that she was curled up by the mirror, hugging her knees to her chest. He heard little whimpers and his heart just broke.

Even now, she looked ever so beautiful. He walked over and sat next to her, but she pushed him away.

"Jareth please no." she cried. "Don't look at me."

Jareth ignored her and pulled her close to him. Normally he'd respect her space but he knew that she was not to be left alone. She needed his love.

"Talk to me." He whispered. "Tell me why you're so worried, why you're so sad. Tell me why your mother's words are cutting at you so deeply. I understand, Sarah, I've been there."

He kissed her brow. "Please my love. Tell me everything. You are my one and only."

Sarah stopped trying to move away and settled in his arms. She didn't really want to go into it but something about him made her. Jareth was always so sweet to her.

"It's what she said." Sarah whispered. "That I'm a burden and it's why she and my dad split. That you have been with so many beautiful women and that I will never compare. I won't age, but I am still short and small. I'm not lean and graceful. I have so many imperfections. You can't want me."

She looked into his eyes now. "You asked me why I didn't tell you I loved you before, when I was younger. It was because I felt I didn't deserve you. It wasn't because I didn't want you, believe me. You are too good for me, too perfect. I love you and I cannot compare to these other women. I suck at magic, I'm not beautiful, I'm not that smart, all these things. I'm broken with a past and insecurities. You should leave me and I feel like you will leave me because I'm so awful. Hell, I wished my brother away and screamed at him when he was a baby! What kind of a person am I?"

She sobbed openly now. "I hate myself! I'm a terrible, terrible person. Why are you even courting me?"

Jareth bit his bottom lip from swearing. It really upset him and angered him that she would dare not believe his love for her would last, that she still had these insecurities. But once again, he had to remember to not take it personally. It didn't have to do with him but the demons deep in her. Just like his own demons.

He pulled her up and made her face the mirror. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Sweet, sweet Sarah. Please look at us."

She didn't at first but he kept nudging her until she did.

"Look at that." He smiled. "You think that you are any less to me because I had a past? Those women may be beautiful, sure, but you have your own unique beauty. You will in time become powerful and on your own. But even so, nothing measures up to you for me. You did what no one else has done, brought me out of my shell. You loved me for ME, not for my power or for anything else. You really got to know me and love me for who I am. For that, I have eyes for no one else."

Sarah shook her head. "I know you feel that way now. You don't lie, but I mean, what about later? What of when you're bored of me?"

Jareth paused for a moment and decided to not tell her, but show her.

"My dear," he said quietly. "May I take your gown off?"

Sarah looked at him, an almost disgusted look on her face. Almost. She was more confused than anything else.

"Just, please?" He pleaded. "Let me show you what I think of you. Let me show you how beautiful you are. I beg you."

She looked down and sighed. "Do whatever you want, Jareth."

He didn't like her tone but continued with his plan. He untied the nightgown in the back and pulled the front back so her shoulders were exposed. He looked at her eyes for permission as he came to the front and she just shrugged, letting him. He pushed it over her shoulders and it fell to her feet. Every part of her body was exposed except for her panties.

Automatically, she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling ashamed. Jareth had seen her body many times already, making love passionately. But tonight felt different, it was him seeing her in a different light.

"I want you to tell me every part of your body that bothers you." He said.

Sarah looked up, eyes full of tears. "You want me to do what?"

"I promise, you'll be okay." He said quietly. "But if I have the privilege to look at your beauty, I should also understand how you see yourself. Again, you don't have to do anything but I would like to know."

Sarah sighed and made fists, shaking a little. "Fine. You asked for it."

She grabbed his hand and placed it on her bicep. "Here first. I'm weak in the arms, and I can't do anything with them. I'm not only weak, but my arms are too large to be beautiful. So they're fat and useless."

She moved his hand to her face. "My cheeks are still chubby and I get mistaken for a high schooler sometimes even though I'm older." She moved it to her head. "I lose my hair when I'm stressed."

She sucked in a breath, but kept on going. She moved it to touch her two breasts. "Here is where a lot of women are sexualized. Sometimes my breasts are too big, or too small. Too big means I'm a whore even though I can't control it or too small because I'm not beautiful enough. Look at the stretch marks too. I've been told that I'm not even pregnant yet and here they show up."

She moved his hand to her stomach and back. "I have fat there. Ugly rolls that show up so I can't feel confident even when I go to the beach. Not to mention again, the stretch marks."

She moved it past her hips to her legs. "I'm no athlete and these legs show. My thighs are too thick and calves too fat. I have dark hair that shows often when I try to shave and I routinely cut myself. I have scars from stupid shit I did."

She looked at Jareth's eyes. "Is that you wanted to hear? For me to tell you why I hate myself? Do you need a reason to leave me? Because you should go now. Don't drag this out and let me suffer."

For a moment, she stood like that, facing away from him. She almost thought he left until she felt his strong arms wrapped around her again.

"You're being impossible." He kissed her neck. "I would only work to convince you otherwise because I know you're serious and because I love you more than anything in the world."

They were facing the mirror again and Sarah felt him touch the same places on her body that she had made him touch. He brought her hand to touch her arms.

"Your arms have held babies to soothe them, Toby being one of the first." He said. "You are no body builder or a model but you are beautiful. You hold books and use your hands to make creative things. You hold me, and touched me in ways I want no one else to ever do."

Touching her head, he said "You have beautiful shiny black hair. You also have the brightest of minds. You may not be amazing at magic, but you are juggling so many things! It's amazing actually, how talented you are."

He made her hands touch her own breasts. "These are beautiful. Stretch marks are normal. They happen when one gains or loses weight. It doesn't make you any more or less beautiful. The size doesn't matter and you've told me that you will choose to breast feed your child. That makes you selfless and beautiful. Besides, I find them sexy." He gave them a squeeze and kissed her shoulder.

He brought her hands to her back and stomach. "Your strong back keeps you upright. You have scars and birthmarks but they are YOURS. You did nothing wrong and they all have a story. Your stomach has rolls because females tend to have them more than males. You use your stomach to eat delicious food, including my peaches."

Sarah giggled at that.

"Again, stretch marks are normal. And you have such lovely hips." He caressed them before going lower to her thighs. "You have strong legs to walk. Some women are thin and that's beautiful. Some are larger and they're still beautiful. You are healthy and that's the most beautiful."

He sighed. "It isn't what you look like that makes you beautiful. It's how you use what you have. Everyone is beautiful, but your beauty is yours alone unless you share it. You shared it with me."

He tiled her head so she was facing him, their noses touching. "And that, Sarah, means the most of all to me. What an honor it is to see your beauty."

They kissed deeply. Jareth ran his hands all over her and pulled her close. Sarah tangled her fingers in his soft hair and shook with tears of appreciation and love. Nothing was more important than each other.

The world could fall down, and they would not have moved.

Jareth pulled away from her and kissed her brow. "I love you, Sarah. I wish your mother saw that too. I wish she was like mine. No doubt my mother would have seen the beauty in you and treasured you like her own."

"Oh, Jareth. I love you." Sarah breathed. Whenever he brought his mother up, she knew that it meant something special to him.

"I mean it." He kissed her again. "Linda doesn't deserve you. Some people may not treasure someone's beauty, but to just trash on yours? She is the scum of the earth. Sarah, you told me that your exes while you wish them well, they mean nothing to you. Mine mean nothing to me. You are here with me now and the only one that is worthy to be my future queen. I will have you or no one. You can walk away but I know it's not because you don't love me. Don't let these insecurities cloud your mind."

Sarah just felt so awed. And stupid. He was the best person she could ever have asked for. And she loved him so very much.

"Kiss me." She whispered. "Make love with me, my Prince Charming."

"Prince Charming?" He chuckled. "I am your goblin king."

Sarah batted her eyes and let her lips linger of his. She brushed their lips together. "My mistake, Sire."

Jareth didn't hesitate to kiss her and bring her to their bed to show her his other way of making her feel beautiful.

* * *

After a long day of exploring museums and eating good food, Sarah was waiting in line with Jareth to redeem their tickets when they heard the news.

Jareth handed her a newspaper from all the commotion and Sarah stared at it in shock.

_"Linda Williams, longtime Hollywood and Broadway actress has lost her voice on what would have been the last night of performance as Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera. Her understudy, Clara Reese, will be taking over early this evening."_

The people whispered, a little disappointed that they wouldn't see Linda act and sing for she was an amazing singer.

"Oh she is so mad, I can tell." Sarah said with wide eyes. "She worked hard for this you know. Throwing her party and everything too!"

"I bet." Jareth was rolling a crystal back and forth, mesmerizing it for some of the children waiting in line. Their parents were quite grateful to him.

Sarah's eyes narrowed when she saw his nonchalant facial expression. "Jareth? Please don't tell me you had something to do with this!"

He made the crystal pop and the crowed gasped and called him a magician. He smirked at Sarah. "Then I won't tell you."

"Jareth." She said in a threatening voice.

"Yes, my Sarah?" He mocked her.

"What did you do?!" She demanded.

Jareth bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from laughing. "All I did was give her some retribution. I can't throw her in the bog, it would probably stink it up too much."

Sarah snorted.

"And I didn't want to see her tonight. For saying such horrid things, she deserved to not have the ability to use that voice of hers to hurt you or anyone else. I just hit her where it hurts but it won't destroy her. Just her ego. She will heal from her voice being lost and will perform some other time."

Sarah didn't say this, but it was ingenious actually. It made her feel less burdened about showing up to the show.

"What?" Jareth's eyes sparkled. "Are you not going to yell at me?"

Sarah smacked his arm. "I'm thinking that I'll let this go for now, but if you keep annoying me, I will yell at you."

Jareth just grinned.

That night, they arrived to the Majestic Theater quietly but in style. They didn't want to the media to know of Sarah's appearance. It also helped that they both wore masks as was perfect for the show. To Jareth's delight, Sarah wore his mother's necklace. Queen Eleanor would have loved to see a broadway play as she was a patron of the arts.

They were about to find their seats when a young woman came almost in tears. Sarah saw her costume and recognized it as one of her mother's. The woman was in hysterics that Sarah walked over and calmed her down.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sarah had the lady sit down and told Jareth to get some water. After a few minutes, the woman began to talk.

"I'm going to play Carlotta but I don't know what to do! I don't feel ready even though I've practiced. That bitch Linda told me that I was so bad and I just don't have confidence and-"

Her eyes went wide and clapped her hand over her mouth. "YOU!" She jumped back. "Oh god, you're Linda's daughter! Oh shit!"

She tried to run but Sarah grabbed her shoulders. "It's okay, I promise. Ugh, believe me when I say I know the brunt of her insults." She said with bitterness.

Clara looked at the girl sadly. "I'm so sorry. I thought I had it bad as her understudy, but to have her as your mother…"

Sarah waved "No worries."

Jareth came and gave her a cup of water. The couple shared a smile. "Thank you love." Sarah beamed at him and gave it to Clara.

Clara calmed down after drinking some water. "I just.. I have no confidence. Carlotta has to be a diva and I can act but Linda has been so awful to me…"

"Don't let what she says get to you." Sarah said sternly. "You were going to replace her anyways."

Her voice got excited and happy again. "You are AT BROADWAY! If you are here then you're dong something right. Sing for us, sing against Linda and her gross ideals. Don't let her win. Let the press talk about how great you are! Even if you don't do better than she did, you will wow them all."

Clara took a deep breath. "I forget that sometimes, I am here at broadway. It's pretty neat, isn't it?"

Sarah nodded. "It is. And you're going to kill it. You can do it."

Clara embraced Sarah. "For you, I'll do it. And for me. Thank you."

Jareth positively beamed at her. "You are amazing, you know? The way you're able to inspire people is amazing. God, I love you."

They settled and watched the show. Jareth jumped a little at the music and was so impressed by the set changes and the special effects that happened live. Clara did an amazing job, and Sarah couldn't help but send a little magic her way. Her dress seemed to light up and glimmer more than before during a high note in her solo.

Jareth's eyes bulged. "Did you just use GLITTER?" He whispered to her. The complete look of adoration in his eyes showed that if he didn't love her before then he did now.

Sarah kissed him. "Yes I did."

"That's my girl." He whispered and kissed her deeply.

For the rest of their long lives, Sarah and Jareth would always talk about their New York trip being one of the best things to happen in their relationship, to strengthen them. A few days later, Sarah received a letter telling her that she won the scholarship for her engineering presentation to start her project.

Things were getting better and better.


	9. Twenty-Three

"Move over to the left, honey." Robert told her. "Maybe take off your cap for this?"

Sarah was tempted to huff in an annoyed voice but instead she just listened. Robert wanted nothing but the best for her anyway. She just was getting tired of this photo shoot. "Come on Dad, take a photo with me now!"

"Hush and let me take it! I have one daughter after all and SHE IS AN ENGINEER!" Robert snapped a few more photos of her. "I'm so proud of you!"

"I'm HOT!" Toby yelled. He huffed and grumbled and sat under a tree. "I'm hungry too!"

"Toby just a little longer okay?" Karen fanned herself from being in the heat. "This is your sister's special day!"

"I'm so sorry I'm late!"

The Williams family turned to see a blond man with crazy hair wave his hands to get their attention. All of them felt a breeze coming their way and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you use magic to give us that breeze?" Karen stopped fanning herself. "That's so kind of you!" She reached over to embrace Jareth.

"Of course, can't have you all burning in this dreaded heat when I can do something about it." He smiled at them. "I'm so sorry, there was surprisingly a wished away child."

"That's new." Sarah remarked while giving him a kiss. "You haven't gotten one in over a year."

Jareth shrugged. "It still happens sometimes."

"JARETH!" Toby yelled. "HI!"

He loved Jareth, and often told Sarah that he liked him more than any other boyfriend she had ever brought home and was so happy to see that they were dating.

"Well hello!" He ruffled the boy's head affectionately. "How are you?"

"Don't I get a hug too?" Robert teased. He embraced Jareth and motioned him to stand next to Sarah. "Go stand next to Sarah and I'll take a photo!" He was very fond of Jareth and made sure to say so. No other man had shown so much consideration and love for his daughter before.

It had taken Robert and Karen a while to understand that Jareth was a king and that he knew Sarah for years. The couple decided to wait to tell them until they had been dating for a while. The whole family had been Underground once and Toby just begged for more. Robert had no issue with their relationship, but he did worry about the pettiness of court. Still, if Sarah was with her love, what did he have to worry?

The couple stood next to each other in front of the engineering building and Jareth even snuck a kiss to which Toby gagged and tried to throw Sarah's cap at him, calling him "gross."

"Come come." Jareth took the camera from Robert. "Just a picture of you four!"

Another hobby Robert and Jareth were now sharing was photography. It was so much fun for them but drove everyone else crazy. At least they had good photos though.

The whole family watched Sarah walk down with pride as her name was called. Graduating with an engineering degree and with honors was amazing! Sarah never felt more pride than walking in her cap and gown across the stage and shaking hands with her dean.

She had received a card from her friend, Jackie, who was getting her masters at Stanford. She also got a gift from Jeremy, some stationary to use as she was too cheap to get some for herself as he was keeping contact with her and Jareth still. Her grandparents, aunts, and uncles also gave gifts. Not surprisingly, the only person who didn't give her anything was Linda. She was sad about it and would always mourn but it was a choice both she and Linda made. It was Sarah's choice to cut off someone so toxic and Linda's choice to treat her that way. She had no regrets over that. Sometimes, some books were meant to be closed.

With Summer Solstice approaching, Jareth had invited her family to spend part of their summer vacation with him at his castle. Robert and Karen agreed and Sarah couldn't wait to experience the festivities with them. Normally, she wasn't able to go but for a few hours at a time. Now that she didn't have classes and her family knew of her situation with Jareth, she could fully be herself and not lead this double life with them.

"WOAH!" Toby stared at the castle in awe. "This is amazing!"

"I'm glad you approve." Said the king. "I take a lot of pride in the architecture and cleanliness of the castle."

"Well, when he can anyway. Goblins are so messy." Sarah commented. She waved a hand and a hallway appeared. "Come, we'll show you to your rooms."

Robert cracked a smile and made a sweeping bow. "Lead on, my lady." He teased his daughter. It was his way of not being overwhelmed by how his daughter was not only so grown up, but a part of a different world.

Karen was chatting with Jareth about the decor. "Who designed all of this? Or is it changed just a little? Is the castle more your home or is it also state owned as a piece of history?"

"More the former but certainly the latter as well." Jareth told her. "I am an absolute monarch as I rule over goblins. This is my home first and foremost but I'm thinking of having some sort of a Smithsonian actually. Relics and artifacts and such. I do have a council and people vote as well though as many are not goblins. Because of the goblins, my throne will never be a full constitutional monarchy but who knows. I'm open to change."

"Oh my." Karen touched her temple. "This is a lot to take in."

"I was lucky, I had a long time before knowing everything." Sarah chuckled. "Don't worry though, Summer Solstice is pretty chill. It's about fun and games and good food! No need to worry about dignitaries or anything. We'll introduce you to some friends as well."

"Yes, tonight I will introduce to you all Sarah's companions on her journey through my labyrinth." Jareth smiled. "It did take me a while to warm up to them though."

Sarah made a mockingly pouty face. "Ooooh, you poor kingy! All grumpy and alone."

After showing them to their rooms (Karen was insistent to Toby to NOT make a mess and to not jump on his bed), they made their way to the dining room. Jareth wanted something fancy yet comfortable for them so they all wore their normal clothes and sat at a large wooden table with soft candlelight surrounding them.

"I'm afraid we'll start a fire." Toby remarked. "I'm really clumsy."

Jareth laughed. "Not as bad as your sister, I'm sure."

"Hey!" Sarah folded her arms and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I suppose it didn't make a difference that she's courting a king; she's still just as immature as always." Robert winked at her.

Karen gave him a look. "Be nice Robert! We are at a castle! How is it that you are all so calm eludes me. I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that we're at a castle under a magical King's protection!"

"You've known I was magical for a while though." Jareth said quizzically.

"It's actually seeing it now though, sweetie." Karen said while still observing everything. "You telling me and showing me once was enough to get me to believe but now I'm actually processing it for real."

The doors slowly opened. A small goblin cleared her throat to the family. "I welcome Sir Didymus, Hoggle, and Ludo to His Majesty, Lady Sarah, and Lady Sarah's family."

"Lady Sarah?" Toby whispered. "Woah." Though in the back of mine he remembered Jareth singing songs to him as a baby, he didn't realize how respected Sarah was too the creatures in the Labyrinth until now.

In walked in three strange looking creatures. A small fox with a feathered hat, a large creature that looked like he walked out of a Sesame Street episode, and a short little guy who almost looked like a man.

Sir Didymus graciously bowed to everyone in his usual gallant way and immediately shook hands with Karen. "It is good to meet you, Noble Lady Karen. I am Sir Didymus."

Karen got over her initial shock and even blushed when Didymus kissed her hand. "And it is an honor to meet you too, Sir Didymus."

Hoggle shook Robert's hand. "Nice ta meet ya! Sarah always spoke fondly of her family and of her father. You raised a good girl."

Robert gave the brightest of smiles. "Why thank you, but I can't take all the credit. She's a great person all on her own!"

Ludo walked over to Toby who didn't even look phased and even gave him a hug. "Toby fwend!" He purred.

"Yay!" Toby beamed at Ludo.

They all had a wonderful time at dinner. Toby couldn't stop asking questions about everything from Jareth's duties to where he got the dining table from. Robert and Karen were a little wary of the strange food being served but they ended up loving it. Sarah was positively glowing at the people she loved most being on one table and Jareth was ecstatic at no longer being so lonely. He always longed for a large and loving family.

And it was all thanks to Sarah that he had that. When she wasn't looking, he'd sneak a glance at her and just stare in awe.

After promising that they would come back to say hello during the celebrations, the three companions left for the night so the Williams could retire. Jareth excused himself to get a few things done in preparation for the celebrations which left Sarah time to show her family the castle.

"This place is giant." Karen said with admiration as they passed the ballroom. "It looks much smaller from outside than inside."

"It's magic that does that." Sarah said with delight. "And it has to be big for guests that come and go."

"Why don't you just use magic all the time?" Toby admired a book on magical artifacts that Jareth gave him. "It's a lot cooler than just being normal."

Sarah ruffled his hair. "True, but magic takes energy. Why would you walk instead of run if running was faster? Because it gets tiring. Jareth is able to harness a lot more magic than me as he's an immortal. He's also a king and can draw magic from the land. He doesn't use it all the time either if you noticed."

"Jareth is one of a kind." Karen said with a smile. "It's so ironic how much of a kid he can be but he's also responsible too."

Sarah laughed as they approached the flower gardens. "That's for sure. I had growing up to do after the incident when I wished Toby away. And according to Jareth, so did he."

Toby saw a butterfly and ran after it while Karen trotted behind him. Sarah laughed and looked to her left where her father was looking at the ground in silence and thoughtfulness.

She sensed something was up. Nothing bad, but it was weighing on his mind. She reached for his arm. Robert, feeling Sarah touching him, looked at her and smiled, tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow.

"What's on your mind, Dad?" She asked sweetly to him.

He stopped walking and touched her cheek. Sarah may be an adult, but he would always see the little girl who begged for stories and cuddled Lancelot. He swallowed thickly and sighed, an expression of shame on his face. "I was just thinking about how you essentially had a life outside of our own world. How you fell in love with a king, no less. And how you're growing up."

He held back a few tears. "Growing up is of course nostalgic. But I guess, you really took care of yourself to be safe. You have met with rulers and did magic and lived on your own. You had so many hardships like the divorce, me marrying Karen and having Toby, and then of course, Linda."

Sarah knew what he was getting at and tried to tell him it was alright, but he hushed her. He needed to finish this.

"I feel left out of a big and important part of your life. I don't blame you at all, it is fantastic and sounds incredible. I just wish that I was the one that was more open, more ready to welcome you with love and belief instead of having you be scared to talk to me. I felt busy all the time and now the time flew by so, so fast. I should've been there for you, to love you and to protect you."

"Dad..." Sarah pulled him in for a hug. "Oh please don't say that. You are a good dad and I love you so much."

"I love you too." He sniffed. "I love you so very much." He pulled away from her. "I know that Jareth is a good man for you. He takes care of you and you take care of him. He was there for you when I wasn't, even as your adversary. And he loves you. I just wanted to say how proud I am of you for what you're doing in your life and the person you've become."

Sarah was so touched. Her father wasn't a man of words and this meant the world to her to hear this from him.

He kissed her forehead. "You may be a future queen but you're always my little princess."

* * *

Karen and Robert went in to tuck Toby in for bed before saying goodnight to Jareth and Sarah, but it turns out they won't have to go see the couple separately.

Opening the door, they found hordes of pillows around the bed and a blanket on top for a fort. The lights were off but inside, they could see a man with wild hair holding a glowing crystal as their source of light. Next to him was a small boy listening intently and on his other side was a grown up female telling the story.

"...and then the dragon POUNCED on the young knight, breathing out fire to scare her!" The parents recognized as Sarah's voice.

"Yes but did it have awesome glitter powers?" Jareth's amused voice asked her.

"Is there a thing as fire-glitter powers then?" Toby's head could be seen tilting to the side.

"Fire already glows, glitter just reflects light." Sarah said, tapping her mouth with her finger.

Robert and Karen had to stifle a laugh at them talking about glitter. Robert put a finger to his lips to hush Karen as he inched closer to the fort.

"Now let me finish telling the story!" Sarah stopped Jareth before he could tell her about the history of glitter. He could ramble about glitter all night long if he was allowed to. "So then the dragon opened its mouth and let out a huge-"

"ROAR!" Robert yelled as he lifted the opening flap of the fort.

Jareth, Sarah, and Toby yelled in surprise. Toby threw a pillow at his dad, Sarah fell on Jareth, and Jareth somehow made glitter explode on Robert's face.

And then there was Karen in the background, laughing hysterically.

Robert was wiping glitter off his body and coughed some of it out, wheezing and pointing at his children and the king. "I got you guys so bad!"

"DAD!" Toby threw another pillow at him. "You scared me!"

"It was worth the glitter all over me!" The older man wiped laughing tears from his eyes.

Jareth grinned and waved a hand to make the glitter disappear. "Sorry about that. I normally don't spend time with people like this in my castle so I was startled and usually that means an invader so glitter was a safety mechanism to buy me time to gather my wits to fight."

"What about the goblins? Don't they sneak?" Karen was still snickering.

"They're really noisy. No way they would be able to scare us like that." Sarah informed her stepmother with a twinkle in her eye.

Karen put her hands on her hips. Mom mode. "I'm glad you are all having a good time and so are we, but Toby needs to go to bed. It's past your bedtime honey."

Toby puckered his lower lip out. "Aw, Mom! Please just a little longer? Jareth this is your house so your rules!"

Sarah bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. Karen always said "my house my rules" so to hear Toby try to find a loophole was hilarious.

"Maybe so, Toby." Jareth looked at the boy fondly. "But she is your mother. And she is right, tomorrow is the start of Summer Solstice celebration and we should be up early."

At the mention of the celebration, Toby immediately lightened up. "Okay! I'll go to bed then."

"Thank you honey. Good night." Karen tucked in her son and kissed him and Robert did too. They said goodnight to Jareth and Sarah who retired to their own chambers.

Jareth and Sarah made the decision that they would no longer sleep in separate rooms in his castle. They both took their baths and laid in bed, side by side. Jareth complained about being sore from sitting in the same position all day so Sarah leaned over to give him a shoulder massage.

"Your hands are magical." Jareth laid on his stomach as she loosened the knots on his back. "Pun not intended."

She kissed his neck and traced her finger over his pointy ears. "I've been told. By the way, I heard some commotion earlier today with something about the celebration tomorrow?"

Jareth grunted a little. "Yes, it was why I had to leave you right after dinner." He let out a sigh when he felt Sarah massaging his scalp, her fingers tingling in his hair. "Tomorrow we celebrate Solstice and normally, while I don't take too much part in the celebrations themselves other than to just open them per tradition, I am in charge of making sure the rituals are done well."

Every solstice, there was a sort of play done to recreate the story of the creation of the sun and moon. It was a story passed on from so many millennia ago that no one even knew if it was real or not, but it was a fun tradition and considered sacred. If anything, it was a version of Thanksgiving by being grateful to the earth and to treasure the land they had been blessed to live upon.

"So what happened?" Sarah was massaging down one of his arms now and making her way to his palm and fingers.

"The couple that was supposed to play the moon and the sun are sick, so I had to find replacements. Daniel and Lydia stepped up and I volunteered to babysit Alistair but just for the show. I volunteered without thinking and I should've asked you first as your family is priority." He said regretfully.

Daniel and Lydia had married and had their first child, Alistair, a healthy and beautiful baby boy with almond eyes like his mother and chocolate brown skin like his father's. What's more was that they had named Jareth and Sarah as his godfather and godmother. The couple was perfect to play them, as tradition asks for a married couple to play the god and goddess when possible and few knew the rituals and the play better than those two.

Sarah ran her finger through his hair. "Don't worry, Jareth. My family won't mind and we understand. You're the closest to them and it's so last minute for them to do this. Alistair is adorable and I'll help you out. It'll be a piece of cake!"

Jareth rolled his eyes playfully. "You and pieces of cakes." He rolled over on his back and stared up at her, admiring her beauty. Her beautiful black hair was cascading down her face and she wore a light blue nightgown that framed her body to show her beauty.

"What is it, my love?" Sarah cuddled next to him.

Jareth touched her hip, circling around and moving his hand up her back and to her neck. Then he traced her collar bone and up to her lips, watching her eyes gloss over in a haze and her skin more flushed.

"You're gorgeous." He whispered. He moved closer to her and pulled her body to touch his. He was filled with an overwhelming desire have her. "I want you, Precious."

Sarah didn't even hesitate to brush her lips against his, her eyes now determined. "Then take me, Sire."

* * *

Jareth woke up the next morning to the feel of soft lips all over his chest. He moaned and snapped his eyes opened to see Sarah traveling up to kiss his shoulder.

"Someone's feeling amorous today." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and flipped her over so she was on her back and he on top. Sarah gave him a sultry look and asked her fingernails lightly down his bare back.

"I don't hear you complaining, Sire." She quipped. Sarah knew he loved it when she called him that. Though they were equals, a little consentual dominance didn't hurt once in a while.

"Didn't say I was." He broke into a dangerous smile, showing his pointy teeth. He claimed her mouth with his and they both tasted each other's lips and tongues, each battling for the upper hand...

"Your Majesty!"

A horde of goblins were banging on the door, trying to get his attention.

"Kingy!"

"I want some toast!"

"Is Lady in there? Does she know where my chickens are?"

"WE WANT PARTY NOW!"

Jareth groaned and laid his head in the hollow of Sarah's neck. "Please kill me."

Sarah patted his head apologetically. "I know." She sighed. They were just getting started too!

"Goblins don't do this every day, it's summer solstice and they're excited." Jareth said embarrassingly.

"KINGYYYYYY!"

"Someday it'll be our own children begging at our door for attention you know." Sarah brushed the hair off his face with her fingers and caressed his cheek with her thumb, ignoring the goblins. "You don't have to make any excuses for me, just because I haven't spent many nights here doesn't mean I don't know the goblins or what being in a relationship with you means."

Jareth's eyes softened. "Children..." he whispered. She had mentioned children in the context of sometimes having them with him but they never talked about a certain scenario like this before. Tears filled his eyes at the thought of having a tiny baby, half him and half the woman he loved most. Prior to Sarah, he never thought he could truly be this happy and now he was thinking about a little family.

"Of course." She whispered. "I want to have a family with you. You'd be the best father." And in that moment, Sarah knew what she said was true. Those handsome eyes looking into hers, oh how she wanted to have a child with him someday! It was either her Jareth or no one.

"We could make one now." He teased her, tracing his hand down her stomach. Of course he wasn't serious, they had decided to wait for children until after they've been married a while.

Just as Sarah was about to respond with something sexy, the yelling started again.

"KIIIINGYYYYYY"

"I change my mind, can I use Lady's toasters for eggos instead of toast?"

"I FOUND A CHICKEN BUT I WANT EGGS!"

Before anyone could blink, Jareth yanked the door open to see the goblins all standing outside.

"King naked!" One screeched.

"Don't be stupid." The second goblin told the first goblin. "He's only half naked. He still has pants."

"Really tight pants though."

"King look scary." A shorter one hid behind a big one.

Jareth was practically breathing fire out of his nostrils.

"Uh oh." One of them said.

"YOU IMBECILES!" He screamed at them with angry red eyes and hair all over the place. "WHAT BLOODY TIME IS IT?"

One of them looked at a broken watch that he was wearing. "This says 12. Is that noon or midnight?"

"IT IS FIVE IN THE MORNING!" Jareth kicked one of them for good measure, sending it laughing through the hall. "I said to not disturb me with non emergency things until six!"

"But I want toast!" A goblin whined.

"You can make your own damned toast!" He threw his hands in the air.

"But I wanted to use Lady Sarah's toast making machine!"

A goblin elbowed the toast goblin in the ribs. "Kingy is naked and angry, I think it's bad to whine."

"EVERYONE OUT!" Jareth kicked them one by one. "I WILL SEND YOU ALL TO THE BOG FOR WAKING ME UP NEEDLESSLY AND I DO NOT CARE IF IT IS SUMMER SOLSTICE!"

The rest that were not being kicked by him screeched and stumbled, knocking each other over along the way.

Jareth closed the door and pinched his nose. Sarah was by his side in a second, laughing but also just comforting him. "I guess they're really excited that it's solstice."

"They want a huge party and they want it as soon as possible." Jareth sighed. "Apparently I look scary 'naked' as well."

"Oh?" Sarah placed a hand on the hard plane of his chest. "I don't think you're naked enough." She placed a soft kiss on his jaw.

"You little minx." He devoured her mouth and felt her push him against wall to take control.

"Mine and mine alone." Sarah commanded him, pushing herself against him. He took control last night and now it was her turn...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Sarah tensed up and groaned while Jareth had fury back on his face. He approached the door and yanked it open yelling "WHAT THE HELL IS IT NOW YOU STUPID- oh, uh, uh..."

Sarah heard him clear his throat. "Toby good morning!"

Toby made a face at him. "Why are you shirtless? Do you always sleep shirtless?"

"Why is everyone commenting on my state of undress?" Jareth sighed.

Sarah came to the door to kiss her little brother good morning. "Why are you up so early?" She asks him.

Toby tilted his head. "I was excited for the celebrations but a bunch of goblins really wanted to party early and I thought if they woke you up then maybe I could hang out with you guys."

Jareth was more than touched by this. Toby was such a sweet boy and the comment Sarah made about their own children came back to his mind. If having Toby made him this happy, what will his own children do to him? Though he still wasn't too happy about being interrupted as blood was flowing to places other than his brain at the moment.

"How's this?" Sarah waved her hand a book popped in. "This is the story of the ritual or play that will be done today with pictures and descriptions so you can understand what's going on. Jareth and I have some unfinished business to take care of, so we'll get you in an hour or so. Your clothes for the day are in the closet so be ready when we come."

Toby sighed but looked at the beautiful book fondly. "Okay! Mom and Dad are still asleep I think. The goblins didn't wake them up, just me."

He trotted down the hall. "I'll be in my room!"

Sarah closed the door and breathed out a sigh of relief. Not one second later, Jareth scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

"Unfinished business?" He winked at her.

"Am I wrong?" Sarah pushed him on his back and took control, sitting on top of him.

"Not one bit, Precious. Not wrong at all."

* * *

Though Summer Solstice was an important holiday, it was also a fun holiday which meant that you didn't have to dress up fancy. While Jareth hated balls that he was expected to show up and host or attend for the sake of diplomacy, he loved parties and having fun. And of course, it was an excuse to dress up. He asked Sarah to match his costume and trusting his fashion statement, she agreed.

Robert and Karen both wore regular Aboveground clothing but Toby wanted to wear Underground clothes. He looked like Robin Hood complete with a feather in a hat, looking very sharp and excited. The parents took a double take at seeing Jareth and Sarah in their clothing.

"Wow, I thought we didn't have to dress up? Or did we?" Karen looked at herself with concern.

"Nah, it's just Jareth and I. You know him!" Sarah said.

Jareth wore black, shiny boots over some black tights. He had on a dark blue tunic and a long cape with dots of glitter all over, giving the impression that it was made of stars. His pendant hung proudly on his exposed chest and the cape had a moon-shaped clasp on it. He gave the impression of mystery and allure, dark and enticing.

Sarah, on the other hand, was dressed completely opposite of Jareth. She had on a lovely Aboveground sundress that came down to mid calf. It was cream colored with a white belt at her waist. Small blue flowers dotted the hem and she also had a cape that matched the color of her dress with an image of the sun as a clasp. Her hair was done with waves and the same rose hairpiece that Jareth had made for her at Yuletide two years ago.

Toby jumped up and down in his chair. "Ooh, I know! You're dressed as Solana and Jareth is Muraco!"

"Smart boy." Jareth said with pride at Toby.

"Who?" Robert tilted his head in question.

Sarah summoned a goblin for breakfast before answering her father. "It's part of the ritual today, the reason for our celebration." She turned to Toby. "You read the book this morning, why don't you tell dad a shortened version of it?"

Toby puffed out his chest in pride as he recounted the story that Sarah had him read this morning.

"This was how the moon and the sun were created! Muraco made the world and then Solana gave it life by accident. But then this big battle happened, and then Solana saved the people but she was dying. Muraco was heartbroken and he made a spell to make her soul live forever in the sun and he was the moon and so they protect and watch over he earth."

The boy turned to Jareth. "How true is that story?"

Jareth shrugged. "My opinion is that it's probably not true. There have been no evidence of gods of that sort or anything like that. But it's a good story and it's a celebration of giving thanks to the earth we all share, a reminder to love and protect it as we will love and protect each other. There are people who believe that they are real and there is a religion based on them. Monks and priests, or at least our version of them, will chant and sort of bless us as Solana and Muraco have blessed us. The story is different from culture to culture and kingdom to kingdom. We tell a more loving story of friendship and oneness even we do have deep rooted biases at times."

"That's lovely, to give thanks." Karen said. "What exactly is the ritual part of the celebration though?"

"That's when we will go see a sort of show. Speaking of which, the two people who are acting as King Muraco and Queen Solana will be here any moment and I've sort of taken up babysitting duty."

Lydia and Daniel met them in the gardens. Little Alistair gurgled happily at Jareth and the king hummed Magic Dance to the little one.

"Thank you so much for taking care of him." Lydia said with gratefulness. "Are you sure this was alright? I didn't know Sarah's family was here."

Sarah blew some bubbles for Alistair, who was smiling more by the minute. "Don't worry guys! My family doesn't mind and they can even help out."

Daniel kissed Alistair's cheeks. "Be good for your Uncle Jareth and Aunt Sarah, okay?"

Alistair didn't even notice his father as Jareth was showing him a crystal ball full of glitter.

"Good luck!" Sarah bade both of them. "I can't wait to finally see the ritual in person!"

There was a way to project the ritual to be seen to everyone, kind of like live television and as the king, Jareth got a good seat along with Sarah and her family. A few people were surprised to see him with such a large crowd. While they were more used to his presence, they weren't used to seeing him with this many people. They inclined their heads in respect to him and some hid a smile at seeing him hold Alistair in one arm.

Sarah was also trying to get used to people giving her respect too. People generally loved her, even while she was just Jareth's friend. As she was formally courting the king, people knew that she would be queen. Officially, there was a chance they could break up but everyone knew that this was a love that would last many lifetimes. She knew that when she became queen, she would have respect of her people. She couldn't say the same about foreign heads of state, but at least she would be adored in her future home.

One mother and her little girl, about five years old, approached Jareth and handed him a flower. She also handed one to Sarah, blushing profusely. "For you, Your Majesty and for you, Lady Sarah. I grew them in my garden myself. Mother says you love to garden."

Jareth smiled widely and bent down to give the girl a kiss on the forehead. Her mother was delighted. "That is true, young one. Lady Sarah and I love to garden quite a bit."

"Marigolds fit my dress quite well." Sarah took her turn in kissing the girl's forehead, who was equally excited to get a kiss from the legendary girl that stole the Kong's heart. "You are so thoughtful, my dear."

The girl hugged Sarah. "When are you going to marry the king and be our queen?"

"Ellie!" Her mother pulled the girl back a little. She looked at the couple apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Sire."

Jareth laughed and Sarah reassured her that it was alright. "Children are bound to ask, madam." She turned to the girl. "Thank you so much for the lovely flower. It was very thoughtful."

The family settled down and Sarah's three friends even joined them to watch the ritual. Jareth bounces Alistair on his lap and fed him some milk to keep him fed and to kill him to sleep (as it was his nap time).

The show started. A group of faes, elves, and sorcerers walked into the stage. They were all dressed richly and to their best, chatting to each other and drinking wine. There was one person particular though, that stood out from the rest.

A man with chocolate colored skin in dark robes walked with distrust and anger to the side, away from the party. He sat down, gazing at the stars from the projections made for the show. No one from the party seemed to even care that he was there. Sarah recognized the man as their friend Daniel, who was playing Muraco.

A beautiful woman walked onto the stage wearing brightly colored robes that put Sarah to shame. Everyone in the party clearly wanted her or wanted to be her. She danced and laughed with an air of happiness, but to the audience, they could see in her eyes that she wasn't truly enjoying it. Sarah recognized her as her friend Lydia who was playing Solana. The music was lively and beautiful, Lydia danced gracefully from partner to partner and brightened the room like the sun herself.

Solana faced the audience and heaved a sigh, unknown to the rest of the party goers. "Who am I, to be here? What is my purpose in life to just dance and entertain for the sake of my kingdom? A princess I may be, but a person I am too."

She walked outside to the stars where Muraco was, though she did not know he was there. "What I want is to do something more! I want to build, to create, to reach for something higher."

As she was speaking, Muraco lifted his head up to see where the sound was coming from. Surprised to see the princess, he couldn't do anything but sit there and listen to her sharing her pain to the stars of the night.

"I don't want to be in this gilded cage with gilded people whose insides may not be as pure as their outsides. In this world of gods and goddesses, I am nothing of substantial worth. How I long to be understood, to be loved instead of short term admiration!"

Solana sat on a bench and cried tears of pain. She wrapped her arms around her body as she shivered from the cold. She looked so small, so heartbroken that Robert even shed a tear.

Coming up slowly behind her, Muraco wrapped his long, black cape around her shoulders. Solana jumped back and shirked away from the man.

"I apologize, Your Highness." Muraco bowed his head. "I did not mean to overhear your cries and laments from deep within your soul."

He started to walk away, but Solana grabbed onto his sleeve. "Wait, Sir Muraco."

Muraco turned his head slightly. "Yes, Your Highness?"

Solana moved over and patted the spot next to her. "You are different from everyone else I have met. Might I get to know you?"

Muraco looked at the audience with surprise as the rest of the cast and stage stopped. Muraco breathed up and down at the sight of the frozen Solana as everyone heard him speak his thoughts aloud. "The princess? Getting to know me? Why do I have this feeling in my heart that is slowly building? Why do I want to hold her and cherish her? I have met with her many times but never held a conversation with her save small talk. She always seemed to be like one of them on the outside as she was trained to be."

He paced back and forth. "Could it be, that maybe she is more like I than I thought? I, a lonely nobleman of mystery and darkness? What could she want to do with me that she would not enjoy with someone else? I do not know how to court with women well or to even be a friend. I have dreams and thoughts so unlike everyone else, but from her laments, it seems she and I are more of kindred spirits than I had ever thought before!"

He sat down next to her, everyone still frozen. "Maybe she will run from me the open I am open just like everyone else. Maybe she will look at me in disgust one day. Is she stronger than she looks? Is she strong enough to balance my darkness with her light? There is only one way to find out."

Everything unfroze and Solana looked at him still with uncertainty. "Sir?"

Muraco gave her a small smile and took both her hands in his. "My princess, you may. Though I fear that like everyone else, you will run the moment you hear the deep thoughts of my mind and deep desires of my heart."

Solana squared her shoulders and faced him. "Well, was that a challenge?"

"If you'd like to take it as such, I'd be much more appreciative than if you were just looking at me as something to gawk at like everyone else does." Muraco smirked at her adoringly.

"His smirk almost rivals Jareth's." Karen whispered to Sarah who bit her lip from laughing. Jareth turned to the two women and raised his eyebrows playfully, causing them to giggle. He leaned over and whispered in Sarah's hair "no one's smirk even comes close to rivaling mine. I'm only letting Karen get away with it because she's your stepmother."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I appreciate that." She said sarcastically. And yet, she intertwined her fingers into his.

Solana smiled at Muraco. "So, how about a dance with me, good sir?"

"It would be my absolute pleasure."

They danced with each other as if they were always meant to be together from the very beginning.

A narrating voice came on stage to illuminate the story. "So there goes a princess of the Gods with a lord of the Gods, dancing together. Solana would find that Muraco was dark and mysterious for the same reasons she was light and illuminating: lack of love. Where Muraco preferred to be hidden in his hurt and to close away, Solana wanted to hide it in plain sight, never letting anyone see her sufferings. She wanted the world to feel genuine love that she craved for."

The set changed from morning to night several times to indicate the passage of time. Through it all, Muraco and Solana were dancing, talking, eating, just spending time together.

Again, the narrating voice came. "And soon came the day when Solana would choose her husband. As she was the most eligible lady, many suitors came to ask for her hand. None of them could comprehend the love and bond she and Muraco had developed together. None could understand why someone so light would meet someone so dark. None could understand that he helped her to express her own darkness and she helped him to shine his inner light."

Muraco was working on something. Solana came and sat down next to him, gingerly laying her hand on his leg and kissing his cheek. "My love? What is this that you are working on?"

Muraco put a small piece down on his globe and kissed his beloved's forehead. "This my dear, is just something I like to do in my free time. A world full of many different types of creatures that I often dream about."

"And in that moment," the narrator's voice washed over the audience again. "Muraco listed off all the creatures that were on this earth in our dimension as well as the Above. He had a vivid imagination and loved seeing all the creatures living together in harmony."

Solana reached over to touch them and to her and Muraco's surprise, the globe started to glow. Color was added to it and things began to change.

"Oh no!" Solana panicked. "I didn't realize that I had that power!"

"The power she was referring to, of course, was the power to breathe life." The narrator informed the audience. "And that is how our world was created by the hands of both the God Muraco and the Goddess Solana."

Some singing and vocalizations from the choir from a heavenly song had combined with the breathlessness and stressfulness of the situation on stage.

"What do we do?" She looked to Muraco for support. "Oh, I shouldn't have created a world like this. What to do? I already created life and I can't take them away. Look at them living and breathing, walking around and being sentient. Could I reverse the spell?" Solana's eyes got large and wide.

Muraco hushed his love and wrapped his arm around her. "My dear, it is too late for that. You breathed life into them and what a gift you have! We must send this world to a place where the creatures can live and grow. They will need their own space in the universe, their own sun and stars. Together, you and I will nurture them all as if they are our children."

More time had passed. Muraco and Solana were diligently taking care of their little world and kept it as their little secret. Then came the day of Solana's announcement of who she would marry. Her parents had believed her to have chosen some man of high status. Another prince or another king.

Lydia held her head up high, channeling Solana as best she can with confidence and grace. "I, Princess Solana of the Gods and Goddesses choose Lord Muraco to be my husband."

Gasps went around the set's throne room and then outrage sparked. The king and queen stood up and shouted at Solana, demanding her as to why she chose him to be her husband out of everyone.

One such past suitor, played by an elf, sulked to the side and glared at Muraco. He faced the audience and raised his hands up high. "I will not stand to let MY princess be taken away nor let him be my future king! I will go to war with them if this is what it means!"

"And so, Muraco and Solana were faced with opposition from all sides." The narrator said. "Though there was no law preventing their marriage, the amount of contention caused Solana to weaken her resolve to the point of her announcing that she was giving up her birthright to a cousin of hers."

Solana marched into her chambers with a surprised Muraco behind. "Solana! Please don't give this up for me. Don't give up your birthright or the fact that you can love and marry another one day. You can do so much good as queen."

Solana lifted up a suitcase from her bed and began to pack some of her belongings. "Muraco, what good would being a queen do if the world does not even take time to listen to my words? I am seen as some silly thing, an unequal to them because of how I was raised in a gilded cage." She clasped her suitcase shit and turned to him. "My love, only though you have I been able to open my eyes and to be the better person. I will marry you or no one and if they force me to marry someone, I will not stand for that birthright!"

Muraco grabbed her shoulders and slid his hands down to her hands. He got down in his knees and cried. "I just do not know if I am worthy of your goodness. Your light, your soul. I love you and I cannot allow you to make this hasty decision. You could do so much good."

Solana reached forward to caress his face. "My love, you are worth everything. Don't cry, please. I have made this decision long ago and with thoughtfulness. Come with me. Run away with me."

The audience held their breath to see Muraco's reaction. Even though they all knew the story by heart and knew his answer.

Muraco kissed Solana's fingers. "My beloved, I will run anywhere with you. But where should we go?"

Solana beamed at him and handed him a map. "Why, earth of course. Where we can protect our people and creatures we created. Let us live humbly and comfortably together, watching over them and living our best lives. Let them choose to do what they choose, to give them agency. Let us live among them as their equals."

Muraco eyes widened and his only response was to embrace his love.

That night, the former princess and her love stole away to escape to the planet they had created. As they were about to start the spell, a group of people were there at the gates.

"What is the meaning of this?" Solana narrowed her eyes at them all. "Let us go."

"No." A suitor stepped forward. The audience recognized him as the same suitor who announced his anger towards the couple. "You are foolish to give up your birthright for a lowlife like him."

"And you are foolish to stand in our way." Solana said with gumption. "Leave."

"Not a chance." The suitor breathed out. "I said I would marry you and I will!"

Muraco drew out his sword. "You will not force anyone to marry you, let alone MY Solana!"

"Then we will take your life!" The suitor sneered.

A battle broke out between the couple and the opposing forces. While they were outnumbered, it was obvious that Solana and Muraco were more powerful than ten of the others. They fought valiantly, but they were still outnumbered by quite a bit.

Baby Alistair started to wake a little from the commotion. Jareth rubbed his back but he got louder and louder. Sarah silently took over and bounced him on her knee for Jareth. The king sighed in relief when Sarah was about to soothe boy. He leaned over to kiss her, imagining how it would be one day when they actually had children.

Solana and one such soldier were fighting when all of a sudden, the suitor snapped his finger and the entire army all aimed their magic at Solana. A bright light appeared on her and she fell, seemingly dead.

"NOOOO!" Muraco screamed. In his anger, he unleashed magic that rendered everyone unconscious. Not caring about them, he got to Solana's side and transported her elsewhere.

He was clutching her body to his and cried. "Oh my love. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be alright."

Solana turned a little to him, weak as can be. Even in her state, she wiped a tear off him. "Muraco, please do not cry. You've given be reasons to live instead of wasting away in my guilted cage."

Muraco shook his head but Solana put a finger to his lips. "My soul will be gone from this body soon. I want to still watch over the earth, the world we created. To keep them safe. To protect them and to give them life."

Muraco's face twisted and changed. He understood now. "We will only be able to be near each other and see each other at twilight and at dawn. We cannot bear children nor can we truly live as people if you choose this path."

Solana held his hand tightly. "The lives that we created will be our children. I want to be there for you until the end of Earth. Stay with me, be with me and then when earth has passed, so will our souls."

Muraco inclined his head respectfully. "As you wish, my love."

He lifted his hands above his head and chanted a spell. A crystal was formed from bright lights encompassing Solana and into Muraco's hand. He held the crystal up to the audience to see its brilliance.

"The soul of my love, embedded in here. I will send you to sky, into the sun, and you shall bless the earth and give it life for all of time."

He powered up the crystal where it went into the sky, into the sun itself.

He put his hand on his own heart and drew out his essence, his soul. Unlike Solana's, it was dark purple, swirling with specks of glitter. He aimed it at the moon and shot it there, sending his own soul to the celestial sphere and promptly collapsed next to his would be bride.

Daniel and Lydia received a standing ovation, with thunderous applause. Everyone cheered for their spectacular performance. Even Alistair gurgled at the sight of his parents standing and holding hands.

The narrator's voice came back. "And so, brothers and sisters of the sun and moon. We are all different. But we are from one earth. Let us give thanks this day and mingle as one. Let us take care of the land we have been so blessed with. Let us go forth, and enjoy the day before we see our first parents unite at twilight."

After the play, Daniel and Lydia were greeted by many who admired their portrayal of the legendary couple. And so last minute! But as everyone knew the story by heart and Lydia had been a musician in the past and Daniel working for the special effects on set, they were the perfect last minute couple.

"Oh! I cried at the end." Sarah told her friends. "I can't believe that you only had yesterday to rehearse it!"

"Well it wasn't a long play." Lydia said modestly. "The hard part was interacting with everyone else. It was natural with Daniel. Oh! How was Alistair?"

"Cute as a button and the best baby I've ever taken care of." Jareth handed a crystal ball to Daniel, who had taken his son back. "Keep the crystal, as a gift from your godfather."

"He likes the swirling glitter inside." Daniel kissed Alistair's forehead.

"You're a literal fairy godfather!" Toby said to Jareth in awe.

They all laughed and Jareth spend no time setting him straight. "Faerie, Toby. Fairies are these annoying buggers who bite people."

"I can attest to that." Sarah mumbled, remembering how she was bitten by one the first time she came to the labyrinth.

They bade friends good bye and went off to get some lunch together. Subjects came here and there to say hello to Jareth and Sarah but for the most part he was left alone as he had guests.

After some lunch, the family made some leaf boats and laid flowers inside of them. The little boats were to be laid on the rivers and streams to feed into the larger oceans. It was the ritual part of the celebration, honoring the god and goddess for watching over them from up high. How this specific ritual started, no one was sure.

Another tradition was started a long time ago, specific to the goblin kingdom. The reigning monarch(s) would judge the boats made by the children and in turn give them a prize. The chosen winner got to sail their boat first along with Jareth himself. Jareth's grandfather had stopped this and it wasn't until this year that Jareth decided to install the tradition once more. It would be fun and especially for the children. Even the goblins tried to take part though their boats often collapsed before it got two feet away from them.

"We need some staples." Toby tried desperately to weave his boat and frowned at seeing all the other children doing a better job than him.

Jareth weaved his boat with skill and perfection. He showed Toby a few techniques. "Staples aren't needed. And if we did, then they wouldn't be biodegradable in the natural habitats."

Karen was having a grand time arranging the flowers all over her own leaf boat while Robert found that he quite liked weaving. "Maybe I should take up knitting or crocheting!" He held it up to Sarah. "What do you think honey?"

"I love it!" Sarah was a master at anything artistic and even weaved a small person to be put inside. "I think I got tactile skills from you, Dad."

"Jareth, you should pick me to be the winner because I'm your favorite." Toby puffed his chest out and winked at the king after his cheeky comment.

Jareth snorted. "You sound just like your sister. You know that's not how it works, my boy. I only pick the winner out of 20 finalists, you know that."

Toby sulked and complained more about the lack of staplers he could've used to make his boat.

Sarah showed Karen her boat. "What do you think? Should I add more red flowers?"

Karen put a finger to her lips and hummed. "You could, but I think they would clash against the magenta too much. Oh! You could do a gradient of colors though." She was a florist back in the day, and did it as a hobby now.

Jareth leaned over to see Sarah's floral arrangement. "I like the gradient idea." He said to Karen. "But she could also soften the clash with white flowers in between as well."

"Oh I like that!" Karen handed Sarah some white flowers. "Jareth, you should be a florist or an interior designer like I am. You certainly have an eye for it!"

"He has an eye for anything pretty." Robert laughed.

"Don't tease him too much, one of those 'pretty things' is your daughter after all!" Karen looped an arm around Robert.

The family walked around to the different booths. There was a station to decorate cakes and eat them. Hoggle came over to show them the best recipe for frosting and Jareth was in such a good mood that he even complimented the dwarf instead of being sarcastic.

There were events all over and games to play. There was even a chess competition and of course, Sarah lost to Jareth and he teased her about it for the rest of the day. The winder ended up being a blacksmith who won a brand new glass set.

Another tradition was a large water fight in the entire kingdom for exactly two hours. Jareth made sure to get everyone as soaked as they could but he didn't expect not just the Williams but Sarah's three friends to completely drench him as well. Everyone ganged up on him.

"I GOT YOU JARETH!" Toby yelled. "And I don't even have magic!"

"That's for calling me a repulsive little scab and for nearly dropping me in the bog!" Hoggle gleefully threw water at him.

"You fools!" Jareth transformed into an owl and flew away.

"HEY COME BACK HERE YOU SORE LOSER!" Sarah yelled at him, throwing another bucket of water at him. "I'll make sure the goblins get you next time!"

They went bobbing for apples next and all the creatures around them laughed their heads off at Jareth's glorious and fluffy hair get all soaked and matted. The king was a good sport here though, even if he lost to Ludo.

Sir Didymus had a meditation class for everyone to connect to the world around them. Mediation was essential to really learning and understanding magic, something that took Sarah quite a long time to master with Jareth.

"You remember how it took me forever to clear my mind because I would think a million things at once?" Sarah said to the king.

"Yes I do. And I also remember how you told me you'd ram a crystal up my ass every time I told you to breathe." Jareth formed a crystal and rolled it back and forth.

"Umm no, I only said it when you annoyed me by whispering in my ear." She made her own crystal and manipulated it by turning it around as Jareth did, though not near as graceful as he.

"My Lady and Your Majesty." Sir Didymus opened his one eye at them. "Please quiet your mouths if you do not quiet your minds for this a master class on meditations by a former member of the royal army himself."

Jareth tried to not roll his eyes, but nevertheless apologized. "I give you my sincere apology. I shall be silent and mediate along with Lady Sarah."

After getting some relaxation in, it was time for Jareth to judge the finalists for the leaf boat contest. He paced back and forth, trying so very hard to decide which was his favorite. Finally, he decided on one design that caught his eye the best.

He made his announcement. "To all you children. Thank you for your contributions in making these lovely boats. I do want to say though, that this competition is a bit skewed."

The audience whispered at this. Was he implying that someone cheated?

Jareth chuckled. "I do not mean that anyone cheated. I mean, that some children have more access to supplies than others. Some have skilled mentors helping them. So I want to say, that you should all be proud of just creating something beautiful with your loved ones. Truly, everyone is the winner."

Everyone cheered and clapped for him.

"However," said Jareth. "I myself and bias and my favorite basket has to be this one."

He held up a boat that had flowers of fire colors and ice colors to represent both Solana and Muraco, for they were also referred to as the Goddess of Fire and God of Ice. Inside the flowers, nestled inside was a beautiful drawing of Jareth and Sarah.

He smiled. "Celeste, will you come up here to receive your prize?"

A small girl around eight years old it seemed, cane up to him shyly. He resisted the urge to say "awww" when she came trotting up to him with her hair in pigtails. Her parents weren't far behind her but stayed back a little so that she could greet the king alone and revel in that honor.

Jareth got down to her level and she blushed at being singled by the king. "You did a wonderful job." He smiled at her. "Did you make this yourself?"

Celeste blushed even harder. "No, Your Majesty. I designed it myself but my Papa helped me to weave the boat and Mama got the flowers. I drew the drawing myself though."

Jareth couldn't stop grinning. "Well, if you don't mind, might I keep that lovely drawing of me and Lady Sarah while you sail your basket?"

Celeste nodded, her eyes wide with happiness at the thought that the king would keep a drawing of hers.

Jareth turned his hand over and created a crystal. Chanting a few words and blowing on it, he created a rainbow of glitter inside. In the middle was the name "Celeste" embedded.

"Your prize awaits you, my dear." He handed the crystal over to the young girl who gave him a curtesy before running back to her parents in excitement.

Everyone clapped for Celeste as she hid behind her mother's skirt from all the attention. Sparing her, Jareth made another announcement.

"No one will go away empty handed this evening. Let us dance!"

The music seem to come from everywhere and all at once. It was a song unfamiliar to his subjects but very familiar to the Williams.

Of course, they chose a David Bowie song.

_Let's dance!_

_Put on your red shoes and dance the blues_

All of a sudden, everyone's shoes turned bright red and the ones they had been wearing were set next to them. This was the gift Jareth had mentioned that everyone would receive. To give shoes to everyone present, he and Sarah together had to pull off that feat.

_Let's dance!_

_To the song they're playin' on the radio_

_Let's sway_

_While color lights up your face_

_Let's sway_

_Sway through the crowd to an empty space!_

Jareth grabbed Sarah and they both weaves through the electric crowd. Twisting and turning in dance, they enjoyed dancing with each other and the various subjects. Even the goblins danced with them. Well, they danced with Sarah while Jareth kicked them.

_If you say run_

_I'll run with you_

_And if you say hide_

_We'll hide_

_Because my love for you_

_Would break my heart in two_

_If you should fall into my arms_

_And tremble like a flower!_

This was so unlike the Yule Ball where everyone was judgmental and backstabbed each other. These were their people, their creatures who loved them and lived their best lives. Despite all the prejudice that even they held, Jareth's subjects still cared for one another and they let this one day unite them. They were all subjects of the Goblin Kingdom.

_Let's dance_

_Let's dance_

_For fear your grace should fall_

_Let's dance_

_For fear tonight is all_

_Let's sway_

_You could look into my eyes_

_Let's sway_

_Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight_

_And if you say run_

_I'll run with you_

_And if you say hide_

_We'll hide_

_Because my love for you_

_Would break my heart in two_

_If you should fall into my arms_

_And tremble like a flower_

_Let's dance_

_Put on your red shoes and dance the blues_

_Let's sway_

_Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight_

_Let's dance_

_Let's dance_

_Let's dance, dance, dance_

Everyone cheered as the last of Bowie's vocals faded away. They all marveled at the lovely red shoes Jareth and Sarah gifted them and went to eat dinner before sailing their boats.

Jareth guided Celeste to sail her boat into the sunset and everyone else followed suit.

A priest bowed his head and read a prayer. "I pray that we all love tonight, that we give thanks to the Sun and Moon for giving us life and blessing us. May our year be full of happiness and our lives full of smiles."

Sarah laid her head on Jareth's chest, watching their boats float away. He laid a hand on her hip and breathed in the fresh air. With Sarah, his life was truly full of happiness and smiles. He kissed in her hair and watched the sunset.

"Look, Hoggle!" Toby tugged in the dwarf's arm. "The moon and the sun are in the sky at the same time."

Indeed they are. The king of goblins and his champion shared a knowing look, imagining Solana and Muraco reuniting again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tradition of them making leaf baskets with flowers and floating it in the water is a Thai tradition called Loi Krathong (idk if I spelled it right in English). Thai people also add candles inside as it would be nighttime when it happens. It's to celebrate the water that we have and I thought it would be cool to add it in! The celebration is different from country to country and culture to culture. Some celebrate Buddha or water spirits. However, it usually happens around November on the night of the full moon.
> 
> The water fight is also a real thing in Thailand, it happens mid April in the whole country and lasts from 3 days in most places to a week! I thought it would be a fun element to add in. It's a beautiful country and I miss it. You should go if you haven't been already!
> 
> The creation story is kinda based on the ancient Egyptian one of the sky and the earth being together or being pushed apart, depending on the source. I of course changed it quite a bit so the myth I created was mostly my own story.


	10. Twenty-Four

"Is this really all you have?" Jareth put a box into a storage room.

Sarah shrugged. "I don't have very much in college besides essentials and when I moved for my internship last year, I didn't have much then either. Most of the stuff I really want is with my parents. We can slowly move all that here."

"Very well, Precious." He said.

It was moving day and Sarah had officially moved in with Jareth. All last year she had been working at an internship and even invented some things to use for sustainable water energy. She could've gone further but she also knew that humans would go far and fast with technology change and a better, healthier environment (if they actually get their politics together). Her role now was to go Underground with her Jareth.

"Would you like me to help you with interviews again?" Jareth offered her.

Sarah nodded. "Yes please. I have one tomorrow and it would mean a lot."

She really wanted to prove herself as able to be a productive member of society here, not just by marrying its king. She wanted to have a real job here and had applied to work in designing and/or fixing bridges. A lot of those bridges were held up by magic, which was great when there were magical beings around but not so great if left alone without constant streams of spells. Magic took a lot of energy and she wanted the bridges to be more self sustainable. As a magician herself now, she could aid in using magic and her knowledge of technology to improve the world.

"I don't want them to be nicer or meaner to me because I'm with you." She sighed. "I'm glad we made our courtship public, but I really wish that I could be an equal."

"I know." Jareth said sympathetically. "But there will always be biases. Just be you. Prove yourself worthy for this job."

He still didn't totally understand her. She could be queen and just work with him. She already gained respect from the people. He even told her this.

"That's not nearly the same." She pointed out. "These people love me for being a kind hearted person, to be by your side. They love me as if I was a future consort not as a leader in my own right. That's not what you want either."

"No." Jareth said simply. He wanted her to be his equal, his queen. He wanted her to have the crown matrimonial so that she would have completely equal power as he. He didn't want a consort, not with Sarah.

"Then please, try to understand that this is what I have to do." She kissed his lips. "Now help me rehearse."

* * *

Sarah was willing to be flexible, but she also did things her way. Her innovativeness also provided her with strategies where she thought of everything.

Being familiar with Underground customs for years now, she knew that things tended to be stagnant. The creatures that were able to wield magic were immortals whereas the ones that did not (like dwarves or goblins) were not. The attitude was one of "why fix something that works?" As such, improvements in technology or strategies were few and far in between. She hoped to change that for her philosophy was "something can always be improved even if it works."

She approached a cottage and knocked on its door. A sorcerer and his wife, a fae, came out to greet her. Both were in charge of fixing the bridges and were a nice couple, never living lavishly as they could and instead focused their wealth on explorations rich for the mind.

"Lady Sarah, how do you do?" Nathaniel gestured her in. "Come come."

"Let us get you some tea." Laura offered.

Sarah smiled. This was already the nicest and coziest job interview that she had so far. She kept her guard up though. She wasn't a fool. She knew that they only considered giving her an interview because they liked her as a person and that they worked under Jareth. Everyone wanted to gain the King's favor.

Not that she blamed them.

Sitting down comfortably, they exchanged a few pleasantries before Sarah got on it. She slid her neatly typed up resume to them.

"What is this?" Nathaniel noticed how the paper was nice and white, not like parchment paper and the letters were neatly typed and not handwritten.

"In the Aboveground, many places use something called a resume. It has credentials and references to my skill, like education and job experienced. It makes things easier and normally I would send to a future employer before being interviewed but I thought it would be best to talk to you about it."

Laura looked at it with great interest. "Does this replace actually showing what you could do?"

"Oh no, not at all." Sarah corrected. "Up there, many places are competitive so to be able to scan the candidates before an interview is helpful. If you had thousands of applicants, it would be difficult to assess each one of them yourselves."

"There's a hierarchy it seems." Nathaniel said. "Do you think having these, resumes, are useful?"

"I think they could be." Sarah said. "Just a glimpse then you could ask me to prove my skills. I do like the idea of being able to see on paper, written or typed out by the candidate themselves rather than relying on word of mouth to communicate for an apprenticeship. However, I do prefer to always meet the candidates in person to really assess them instead of just throwing away their resumes. For big companies, they would often use these to disqualify them and sometimes that's useful but sometimes it's rather tiring. I myself had to interview others so I've seen the process."

Laura nodded in agreement. "That is quite a lot of thought, my lady."

Sarah wondered if she ranted too much on resumes. Ugh! It was something that she had a problem with, talking and talking when she got nervous. She took another sip of the tea.

Her resume had a lot of things that wouldn't mean much to them if not for the explanations. She explained in there what her degree meant, the things she could do, and her projects. Those were he most important parts. Unfortunately, that would mean very little to them and the one part that wasn't as important her, stood out to them.

"You were magically tutored by the king himself?"

Sarah schooled her face and took a deep breath. People knew that she could do a little magic before, but never the extent of it for her own personal safety. She intertwined her fingers and told her knee to stop nervously bouncing up and down. "Yes. When I defeated the labyrinth, I received 'certain powers.' As king, His Majesty felt responsible for me to harness that power and not have it go unchecked."

They both gave a nod. If this concerned Jareth, they weren't going to spread it around. More than power and prestige, they cared about Jareth as he was their king and protector.

"Well, as you are human, your magic isn't as strong as ours. But I would like to have you at least be quite knowledgeable in magical theory." Laura said. "For your science won't be enough in a magical land."

"I understand." Sarah said. "I have been studying but I know that it's not even close to the knowledge even adolescents here have."

"Then you shall take lessons. That is non negotiable." Nathaniel said. "Before we employ you, we would like to see you in action with the different bridges and buildings in your mathematics."

Sarah smiled. This was going a lot better than expected. They still had standards and weren't going to just hire her on a whim but they also weren't discriminating against her for being human or for being Jareth's girlfriend.

She brought out a small kit from her satchel. "I know that mathematics beyond arithmetic isn't common knowledge here. But I'd like to show you this bridge model and a sample of what I'd do. Then later today, after some lunch, maybe you could take me to some sites and we can work together."

* * *

Jareth didn't like hiding things from Sarah, especially when she was JUST moving in with him. It was a dream of his and finally after so long!

He knew there was a way for her to change to become immortal like him. He wanted her to become immortal so she could channel magic like him, to be his equal. As queen, being able to have a large amount of magic was of great importance.

He was going to live out the rest of his life with Sarah. No matter what happened. He was still insecure though, and decided to investigate the exact process by himself. Afraid that she may still say no, he wanted to be as informed as he could before he talked to her about marriage again.

"Maybe I should go to therapy as she said." He pinched his nose. "All this anxiety is driving me mad."

Sarah was going to take all day with her interview with Nathaniel and Laura, he was sure. So he trekked off to a different kingdom right after she left.

Transporting, he approached a large castle. Brilliant lights all over with beautiful granite staircases made him feel smaller. He made sure to dress formally today, in mostly black but also a bit of color on his red cape and white gloves. He waited in the hall and then was summoned to The Council.

The Council consisted of 13 members in total. They were the supreme judges and magicians of the Underground and were rarely called upon, if at all for most issues would be dealt at a local level. They dealt with large issues, like if the entire Underground was in danger. The last time they had been called to judge, it was even before Jareth's time. Members could change over time with retirements and such. Those who retired would have much of their memory erased of certain secrets in order to not abuse any big magic spells.

The king knelt down in deep respect to the Elders, as they were called and waited to be told to rise. He hung his head in modesty all while keeping his face straight.

"Jareth, King of Goblins, Keeper of the Realms and Lord of the Labyrinth. Please rise."

He felt all 13 pairs of eyes boring into him from nearly every angle. He had been kept on his toes so often that he didn't feel nervous. But here he was, ready to "shit his pants" as Sarah would put it.

"Goblin king, you have asked us to convene for you this day and have requested this to be a private matter." One elf said. "What has happened?"

Jareth crossed his right arm in front of his chest to again show respect. "Elders, there is no danger to my kingdom. I am here to ask for advice and a request."

They all looked at each other with raised eyebrows. This wasn't typical of Jareth at all.

"As you may know, I am currently courting Sarah Williams of the Aboveground. She is my one and only Labyrinth Champion."

"We understand this." A sorceress said. "But that is not our concern. You may choose whoever you want to be your future husband or bride. It is your right as king. I'm sure you know the risks, that she will die long before you do."

Jareth inclined his head again. "I understand this. However, I seek to not make her my consort, but a queen of her own right. I seek for her to one day have the crown matrimonial."

Now this was something big. The crown matrimonial was still something that was for Jareth to decide, but with a human?

"Seeing as Lady Sarah isn't here, does she know any of this?" Another Elder asked him.

Jareth clasped his hands behind his back to prevent himself from twiddling his thumbs in nervousness and from lashing out in anger as well. He knew that they didn't deserve any of his pent up frustrations. "She and I want to be equals and we want to get married. I came to inquire of the details alone."

One Elder tilted her head and regarded him almost worriedly. "For her to seek the crown matrimonial, you have to get this approved by at least half of the reigning monarchs for that changes the line of inheritance. Though I am informed that you have no next of kin to rule unless you appoint an heir. And she cannot stay human, which is what I assume is your point in coming here."

"Your assumption is correct." Jareth swallowed thickly. "With all due respect, nothing will stop me from living my life with her. Not even you Elders and I will give up my throne for her if I have to. Sarah is the only one who can stop me from being with her."

"Goblin king, you will do well to hold your tongue." A Druid said. "Do not repeat the same mistake as your sister by abandoning your throne."

Jareth snapped. He jabbed a finger at the Druid's direction. "How DARE you compare me to her! I won't ever just leave people that need me to rule. I am nothing like her!"

"Keep that temper in check, Your Majesty!" Yet another Elder bellowed. "You know better than this. Do not take our precautions personally. We are not here to break up your union or to hurt you. The Council was made to protect the Underground."

Jareth clenched his teeth to the point where he was sure that they were going to come off. But he took a few breaths and bowed his head again. "I apologize." He rose up. "Might I know the process of what to do to make her my equal?" Cursed inwardly for losing his temper. He loved Sarah and couldn't afford to get the Council on his bad side.

The sorceress spoke again. "You must make her one of us, an immortal. There have been less than ten mortals turned to immortals, do you know why?"

"To protect immortality so it isn't being abused." Jareth recited from a textbook.

"That's only part of it." The Druid said. "Part of it is the sheer amount of magic it takes to transform someone. The entire Underground feels it, though only a few will really sense the lack of magic in the world before rejuvenation."

"So that puts us in danger." Jareth whispered. "And as we are a slow changing world-"

"We are more susceptible to attacks from more dangerous creatures or from humans should they decide to harm us." An Elder nodded. "However, we do not have much of a threat anymore from humans since your kingdoms has the Labyrinth and the lack of belief they have of us. It's just a precaution from the ancients."

Jareth let it roll around in his head for a moment. Alright, so they can turn Sarah immortal, but it's difficult to do. He tilted his head in thought. "There isn't a way to get around this? Why can't say, you give me the spell?"

"It's been protected." An elf said. "You must prove yourselves worthy. She won't just change to become immortal, but to be a queen. For that, it is a trial you both must complete together. It will test your trusts in each other, how far you will go to save your kingdom, and worthiness to rule. Are you able to put your whole kingdom before her?"

Jareth swallowed. That wasn't a question he wasn't able to answer. The right answer would be, yes, he and Sarah would discuss that if there was choosing the whole kingdom (not just one person but the whole kingdom) or the other, then they should choose the kingdom. But he was a selfish man. Could he really give his love up for the kingdom's safety?

Instead of answering, he asked another question to deflect it. "She defeated my labyrinth. Was that not enough?"

"No, because you know as well as we do that it tested not just her person and wit but power. You gave her those powers."

Damn.

"You need to work WITH her, King Jareth." The elf spoke. "We can't even give you the spell ourselves. It is locked deep in a vault opened only by blood magic or by competing the trial we have mentioned."

"Blood magic? I assume none of the people who made the vaults have any descendants?" Jareth asked. Blood magic was a way to seal something that can be opened only by the person themselves or a relative. No magic is 100% foolproof.

"Correct. Now, do you have any remaining concerns?"

Jareth sighed and closed his eyes. "Will the trial be of danger to her or me? What sorts of precautions should I set up?

All the Elders looked to the most senior Elder, a fae for he was the best to answer this question without letting any of the secrets go.

"Goblin king, you and your lady will not be in any danger. The trial will last for a definite amount of time and you will be safe whether you complete it or not as some of us will overwatch you. Should you complete your trial, you will be able to retrieve the spell but once you use the spell, you will instantly forget it. You must be careful to watch over her the entire time. You don't have to, but from what I hear it is a painful process and without a loved one by her side, it will be pure torture. Aside from those risks, she will lose much of what it is that is human. Her personality will be the same but her quickness in learning and changing will take much more time than before. She will no longer be able to live Aboveground though she may have extended visits until her magic matures or she may die from being away from the Underground for too long. Prior to any of the trials, you must gain the 50% permission from the monarchs to have her hold the crown matrimonial."

He gave Jareth a small smile. Everyone was aware of his temper, but they also knew of his past and how much he has changed since meeting Sarah. "I am sure that won't be difficult though. Though you helped her defeat your Labyrinth, her personality and kindness, not to mention wit was essential to winning and you can use that in your favor. I suggest taking a year to prepare for everything. Come back to us with Lady Sarah, and we will discuss the trial with you when you are sure that is what you want."

Jareth felt anxiety but at least he knew more of what his stakes were. He bowed his head. "Thank you, Elders. I shall be back with her one day."

* * *

"You seem so quiet." Sarah cooked him some friend rice and placed it in front of him. "Something wrong?"

Jareth shook his head. He would tell her later. For now, she was still trying to settle in. He told her a partial truth. "Just thinking about how things will work out one day. Becoming immortal isn't easy and you would be giving up a lot."

Sarah hugged him from behind. "Hey, we will do it. Whatever it takes. We'll deal with it after we settle down a bit, okay?" She kissed his cheek. "I love you."

Times like this, he felt so blessed to have her. "I love you too. How was the interview?"

They chatted about how her day went wonderfully, and how she was even able to show them model bridges from her kit. She saw real bridges and even started to make designs and ideas on fixing them or restoring some as well as she could.

"They tried to snub me from my paycheck though, saying it was because I live with you. Not cool! I'm not a free loader!" She huffed.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "You don't have to pay me to stay here, that's ridiculous."

It was a big argument between them. Jareth finally conceded when she said that if he lived with her, she'd make him pay rent if they didn't own a place together. And he suppose that it did help her be independent, though one day she'd be queen and she wouldn't have to pay rent. As she wasn't married to him, the castle didn't belong to her.

"Still, it's not okay." She told him. "What if some young person got paid less because they were able to stay rent free with parents? That's stupid logic."

Jareth snorted. "I suppose you told them so?"

"Of course." She said. "Not in those exact words though."

He grinned. This was the fire that he so loved from her.

For the next few hours, Jareth spent some time on paperwork on some new citizens who wanted to join his kingdom. Sarah was roaming around the library, reading books on magical theory. She would have to get a real tutor to teach her since Jareth was so busy.

"No, you won't pay them." She said firmly. "It's part of my education here and I will pay them myself. I will have enough money to do that on my own and if I really need help, I will ask but I'm not going to free load!"

"You are ridiculous." He rolled his eyes. But this was something he was going to have to accept. This was who she was. "But when we are married-"

"That'll be different because we both will have shared incomes." She said. "But for now, this is for my job and if I want to be taken seriously, I can't have the king coddle me. Please Jareth. I lived on my own before. You are my equal, not my superior or my inferior and I'm to be by your side. Not on a pedestal."

Jareth wanted to keep arguing but one look from her told him that it wasn't going to happen. He just went with it. "Alright. But, might I help you find a good tutor?"

Sarah intertwined her fingers in his. "Yes of course."

They ended up falling asleep like that, cuddling on the couch as they looked at their work from their respective jobs.

* * *

A few months later and they both had settled into a routine. They would wake to have breakfast together, have lunch if their schedules let them, and go to bed together. On weekends they would go visit friends and family or have personal dates. It was a lovely existence and Sarah was progressing quite quickly with magic.

"Sandi, my tutor, says it's partially because I'm human." She told Jareth. "She said humans learn a lot faster than immortals."

"She is right." Said Jareth. "Just like humans though, immortals vary in skill and learning. You are exceptionally smart and quick even for humans." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. "No need to be so modest."

"You're just saying that because you're awful at being modest." Sarah quipped.

"But I don't lie." He wiggled his eyebrows. "I don't exaggerate my power." He pulled her closer to him in a growl and kissed down her back.

Just as things were about to get steamy, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Jareth groaned. "Come in."

To their surprise, Daniel and Lydia both came in, their eyes wide and looking fearful.

"Sire! An emergency has come up!" Daniel said.

"What happened?" Sarah stood up with Jareth.

"My lady, there are 13 missing people who may be trapped in the Spider Caves!" Lydia said frantically. "It's 12 boys with their mentor. Everyone is worried because-"

"The floods are coming in early." Jareth breathed. "Oh no."

"Spider caves?" Sarah didn't understand. "What are those?"

Daniel formed a crystal and made a projection of the map. "They're near the ocean. We often explore them but since we cannot use magic there as it is filled with a certain type of substance that hinders magic powerless." He sighed. "Those poor children with their mentor!"

"They may drown in there." Lydia shivered. "It's a suicide mission and no one can get out alive of these caves."

"Wait hold up." Sarah tried to think through this calmly. "Maybe we can still figure out a way to save them! Come on, we can't just let them die!"

"I agree." Jareth said firmly. "Think of the families too."

"I'm afraid the public has mixed feelings on it, Sire." Lydia gulped. "Some of them think that they were too foolish to tempt fate by going so close to flood season."

"That may be so," Sarah interrupted. "But if this was someone I loved, I would do all I could. And besides, have we not all done things to tempt fate? It sounds like these caves are a popular place to explore."

"They are." Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose. "Daniel, add securing the caves on my to do list. I blame myself for not doing that sooner."

Daniel conjured a pen and paper. "Yes Sire."

The king rolled his sleeves. "Let's save those boys."

* * *

The situation was more heartbreaking than they thought. No one knew the exact path the boys took and without being able to use magic, they couldn't locate them. They were called the Spider Caves for their confusing paths and at the rate the floods were coming in with lack of food, it could be fatal as mentioned.

"I need all the maps of the caves and anyone who's been in there recently." Sarah said. She tied her hair up into a messy bun and took out a pen and paper. "If we can't use magic for our solution, then we will have to use a non magical solution."

The royal guard and everyone else were still a little skeptical about not using magic, but they weren't about to argue with someone who would be their future queen. Sarah consulted the map makers and any explorers to piece locations the boys might have gone. Jareth talked to the families to give them support and to shield them from public scrutiny as many were still thinking that the boys were causing trouble.

Like a true engineer, Sarah taped map sections together and stuck thumb tacks all over to connect places. Everyone watched her doing math as if she was something otherworldly.

"I suppose you doing this kind of mathematics is so high level, it's equal to a human seeing someone do magic." Nathaniel said. He had been impressed with Sarah's work and vouched that whatever math she was doing was truly working for their bridges would only need occasional upkeep instead of using magic all the time.

"I just hope I'm quick enough." Sarah was still trying to solve for the amount of water needed to safely wade in to save those boys.

"Precious, more farmers have offered to let us pump out the water to their lands if that's the solution you want to go with." Jareth told her. "I've reimbursed those farmers already with the funds from the treasury."

Sarah rubbed her eyes sleepily. It was the fourth day, time was running out, and she was the only one down here that could do the level of math she was doing. She was also without anyone to fact check her. "I don't know Jareth. I haven't finished solving the math yet but it looks like there's a lot more water coming in than the amount we can pump out. It's just not possible even if we somehow got Aboveground technology from their military. The pumps we've been using have worked to buy us time but there's no way we can drain it enough for them to walk out. Or if they even will have enough energy to do so."

"Your Majesty! Lady Sarah!"

A young boy ran over and gave a quick bow to each. "Sire, the box, it shows a picture of the group!"

"Oh thank the gods." Sarah and Jareth ran to the monitor they had set up.

Jareth had the idea of sending in waterproof drones that carried cameras. With a bit of help from Robert and Toby to buy the supplies, all of them worked on setting them up to make them strong enough to withstand the currents and to make them waterproof. Sarah attached on an infrared camera instead of a normal camera to get the heat signal of the boys. Unfortunately, they weren't able to attach a microphone on it as that would've been too difficult for them to do. Toby and Robert taught a few people how to control them so they could navigate their way inside the cave remotely.

"Have the family members identify the boys." Jareth commanded.

To everyone's relief, all the boys were alive. They all cheered when they saw them move a little.

"He must be so hungry." One mother said. "Oh, poor thing."

They were all good boys. None were going to seek trouble and any thoughts of blaming their mentor was dissipated when they saw him keep guard in his underwear, giving the boys his clothes to stay warm.

"I hope he makes sure he's warm too." Jareth mumbled. "I bet he's the reason they're all alive and together."

Each boy was around the age of 11-16, still young. The fact that all of them were together was a miracle.

"Where are they at?" Sarah asked one of the people who controlled the drones.

He pointed at a map. "Here, my lady. It seems to be a place of higher ground. My guess is that they quickly went there away from the water."

Sarah took the drone and made it turn around to see the level of the water. It wasn't rising as much but if she had to guess without doing any math, the rate would soon overpower them in days. They had to get the boys out. And fast.

"They're lucky. According to the map, that's the highest ground in that section of the cave." Sarah pointed. "As to how to get them out, they would be too weak. Maybe even too weak to walk. If only we could get professional divers..."

"How about merpeople?" One of the explorers said. She pointed to an area near the caves. "They are of course, expert swimmers."

"We thought about that." Jareth sighed. "They're really difficult to contact and make deals with. Not to mention, they would also be risking their lives. The velocity of the water is insane and there's sharp rocks everywhere. And don't forget, they can't use magic either."

Sarah placed her hand on Jareth's back. "We did say they were our last resort. Maybe we just have to take that chance. Unless we can come up with a better solution."

Jareth paused for a moment then shook his head. "No, I can't think of anything. I suppose that we will have to do what we have to do. Time is short. I will go speak with them at dawn. We should all get the few hours of sleep when we can."

* * *

Jareth couldn't sleep. He decided to go and take a walk but then changed his mind and flew instead. This was one long nightmare after another. He really didn't want to go speak to the merpeople. They were a finicky bunch and always demanded high prices for any favors. Bargaining with them was a royal pain in the ass.

He almost stubbornly declined to go speak with them. He was tired, dirty, and hungry. But as he looked around the camp and saw the bags forming under Sarah's eyes, he couldn't just sit around and not do anything. As king, it would be best for him to approach them than for anyone else to.

As he flew around, he observed the small camp they had set up near the caves. Even with their differences and fighting, they all banded together to save the boys and to bring them home. The ones who weren't explorers or experts helped in ways that were far and beyond anything he could've asked. They did their laundry, bought them food, morale support, and so much more.

He was beyond proud to be a king of this nation.

The goblins came and went as well, cheering up the small children of the families of the boys. They assisted in bringing things to them and even made everyone's spirits brighter.

Deciding that he should get at least a nap in before seeing the merpeople, he flew back to the tent he and Sarah were sharing. To his surprise, she was not asleep on their bed but at the desk, dozing off.

She must've decided to keep working anyway, that stubborn, amazing woman he thought to himself. He decided to keep his owl form as he observed her. Her long lashes flared and she was mumbling a few words.

He leaned over the paper and his heart twisted. He saw her scribbles that said "list of ways to avoid merpeople." He knew that she only did that for him because he was the one that complained to her to no end about not wanting to visit them.

He felt guilty. But he also felt touched that she cared.

Jareth continued to watch her sleep. She was so beautiful to him, he could stare at her for hours. He flew down beside her and sat next to her arm, nuzzling against her.

"Wh-what?" Sarah felt something soft and fluffy nudge her hand. She opened her eyes and saw a small barn owl laying against her. He hooted happily at her waking.

She smiled. Jareth was so adorable as an owl. "Hey you. How was your flight?" She scratched his head and he hooted a little in happiness. He closed his eyes in relaxation as she scratched his neck.

"You're so cuuuute." Sarah held him in her hands and kissed him. If Jareth could blush, he would've.

He started to give chirping noises, as if to scold her for being awake. He flew to the bed and stomped his little feet. He clapped his wings for emphasis and Sarah giggled.

"Okay okay, I'm coming to bed." She crawled in next to him and smoothed his feathers down. "I love you."

Jareth grew back into his fae self and kissed Sarah's neck. "I love you too, Precious. Please try to sleep."

Sarah sighed and leaned into him. "Alright. But only if you do. Hold me."

He wrapped his arms around her and traced his thumb across her stomach. "Yes, my dear."

* * *

Sarah made Jareth eat a little bit of breakfast before he went off to see the merpeople.

"Here, have a chocolate muffin." She offered him. "I put in extra sugar in it just for you."

"Oh how well you know me." Jareth kissed her cheek before eating it. "I'll be back soon."

"We'll be here, and don't worry if you can't them to make a deal." She intertwined her fingers in his. "I love you, and be safe."

"I will, Precious."

When Jareth flew off, Sarah started to work. "Alright, let's do this!"

Jareth felt renewed energy. Sarah really was showing herself to be devoted and ready to be queen. He landed inside the lagoon and blew a special horn to call them.

After blowing on the horn for about five minutes, they started to appear. He didn't like to bow for anyone but swallowing his pride, Jareth went on one knee and crossed one arm across his chest when King Triton appeared in front of him.

"Goblin King. Why have you called us?" Triton asked.

Jareth bowed his head. "Honored King Triton, my kingdom has an emergency and we have need for you to help us."

Triton tilted his head to the side. "And what is it that is so bad, that the goblin king feels the need to contact us? Are you so desperate?"

Jareth was extremely irritated. And tired. And needed a shower. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose, picturing his Sarah working day after day with little sleep and little concern for herself in a world that wasn't her own. He would do this for the poor boys stuck in the cave and for her.

He opened his eyes and spoke again. "We have 13 people trapped in the Spider Caves. 12 boys and their mentor. We would like to ask for your assistance in the matter."

"The Spider Caves?" Triton raised an eyebrow. "We would have no magic there and the floods are high."

"I understand." Jareth bowed his head. "I want nothing more than to get these boys out without disturbing anyone or possibly putting any helpers in danger. I do not ask you lightly. The risks are high and I understand if you refuse. We will not hold it against you."

He tried to hold in his emotions, feeling lost. "I don't know what I can offer you in order to repay you for what you would risk. Let me know what you'd like. We have tried unconventional Aboveground ways to track them and to even pump water out to buy us time but we are quickly losing that time. My people have banded together and have set up camps by the caves to try to find these boys. We are desperate for the safe return of our precious boys."

He hung his head in silence and respect. Never had the goblin king look so humble as Jareth did that day.

Triton felt his resolve to be cruel tremble and shake. He had met Jareth only a few times, and on very formal occasions like his coronation. Jareth had never asked him for any favors or really favors from anyone. The last time he had any business done with the goblin kingdom was from Raynard. Jareth, he could tell, was a different king than his father. Raynard and Ingrid would never try to risk anything for some lost boys.

Maybe his kind would see it as a weakness, but Triton thought that compassion showed strength. If anyone would volunteer, he would allow them to do so.

"There is no need." Triton said quietly. "Those boys are precious as you say."

"What?" Jareth couldn't believe his ears.

"I said that you don't have to pay us back." Triton said kindly. "Just this once, because it is an emergency, I will allow any volunteers who will risk themselves to rescue those boys. Children are precious, every one of them."

Jareth wasn't sure if this was a trick. But merpeople rarely lied. Triton was a man of his word. "Are you sure, Your Majesty?"

"You have shown more grace, care, and devotion to your subjects than your father ever had." Triton's disgust for Raynard was clear on his face. "You obviously care for them. You look worn, King Jareth, and that is a sign of a good king."

Jareth's heart warmed. To hear someone tell him he was being a good king meant everything to him. He had tried so hard. "Thank you, King Triton. I have tried, but I didn't show this much warmth or compassion until my lady came into my life."

"Well, then you better make sure you marry her." Triton chuckled. "I can see she keeps you grounded. Treasure that love. And she will be a good queen to be beside you one day."

* * *

Sarah had a rough plan fleshed out with the other experts. Lucky for her, they all allowed her to be in charge but made sure to speak up whenever something she did was confusing. If the merpeople plan worked, they could enact plan A. Unfortunately, they didn't really have a plan B.

"Sarah!"

Everyone turned around to see the goblin king with the biggest smile on his face.

She took the time to really study him, to understand what was happening these past few days. He looked worn and dirty, so unlike his usual self. His clothes had smudges of dirt and there were even a few rips.

And to her, he never looked more handsome. Because in this moment, he was the epitome of his best self. He was smiling through danger and had done what needed to be done for the sake of others. But more than that, he was sharing his triumph with her.

Sarah ran towards him and he lifted her up by her waist and spun her around. For a moment in this chaotic nightmare, they were both able to truly laugh, to feel happy to see each other.

Jareth was overcome with giddy emotion when he saw her. Before he called out her name, he saw her with her hard hat (most likely from building some more shelters for the boys) and wearing the most practical clothing. Her hiking boots had tracked down mud for even though magic could be used in this area, it took a bit more energy so they had to physically trek their paths. Her hands were pointing here and there, talking to his people and giving words of encouragement.

She was just so beautiful, being her. Being who she was in being so selfless. He was lucky indeed.

Spinning her around made him feel elated. To have good news was one thing but to share it with the one you loved most was something else entirely.

"Oh! I'm so glad you're back!" She gave him a peck on the lips. She couldn't help it.

"So am I." Jareth set her down and laid her hand in the crook of his elbow. "Come, I have good news to share."

He told them that about a dozen merfolk had offered to rescue the boys. Everyone cheered and were surprised that they would do it without payment.

"We do have to thank them." Sarah said. "They deserve our appreciation."

"Agreed." Daniel said. "Maybe Lydia can plan that? She's quite good at international relations."

"KINGYYYYY LADYYYYYY."

A small goblin hobbled up to them and did a quick bow. "The monitor thingy! It broke!"

"WHAT?" Sarah ran over to it. The Goblin was almost correct. The monitor wasn't broken but the drone seemed to be swept away but the current and was now all static.

"Shit." Jareth swore. "Now we can't monitor them and it seems the floods are going a lot faster."

"Bufle, tell them to increase the pressure and speed of those pumps." Sarah told the goblin.

They discussed more of what the plan would be. Even Sarah's three friends came to give moral support.

"Sarah, yer working yerself to death." Hoggle told her. "You need to take a break."

He felt bad for her. Everyone else was tired too but the energy Sarah was putting in along with Jareth really showed. Hoggle couldn't help but compare Jareth to how he was before Sarah. He was much kinder and more patient. Prior to Sarah, he would still help and give his all if someone was in mortal danger but he would've been snapping at everyone and demanded for goblins to be kicked to relieve his tension.

"How can I?" Sarah demanded, all while still writing down their plans. "If this was someone I loved, if this was you, I couldn't and wouldn't stop either."

Hoggle reaches over to hold her hand. "Aww, girly. You are the best."

"My lady." Sir Didymus bowed to her and gave her something. "Thy father has a letter to give thee for he misses thy calls but understands the perils of the situation. Brother Ludo and I made some pastries for you and His Majesty."

"That's so sweet. Thank you for thinking of Jareth too." Sarah gave all three each a kiss on the cheek.

By midday, Sarah, Jareth, and the team had come up with a good plan and backups. Jareth gave her the reigns in explaining the plan one last time.

"So this is how it'll go." Sarah pointed at the maps. "We will have each of the merfolk go in pairs or in threes. You cannot come out the way you go in because of the strong currents. You'll have to enter in from the west side and out the north. As suggested by King Triton, the first two to go in will be Orion and Helena. They are the best at navigation and memory. Helena is also a physician so she can assess the boys, even though they are all of different species. They will also bring with them some food for them."

Sarah drew a red line from the entrance of the cave to where the boys were. "After that, they will continue and exist out the north end. It takes three hours in and three hours out. That's 6 hours of swimming and diving with weak boys. Not to mention the murkiness and the time they will need to rest."

She turned to the merfolk with the most serious face. "Make sure you don't overestimate your abilities. It is crucial for you to remain safe. You really matter to us, every life is precious even though you do go into it with possible worries of death. And for that, we are grateful and feel tremendous amounts of admiration for such a noble thing to do."

At this, Sarah bowed her head in respect. She was followed by Jareth and everyone else in the meeting. The merfolk looked at each other, impressed that this human was so intelligent and capable. It was no wonder that the once cold-hearted goblin king fell for her.

Sarah continued. "Keep yourself safe and get rest or else the boys will not be able to be rescued. The boys will need oxygen to breathe."

"Air." Jareth clarified for everyone. "Humans have discovered that the portion of air we breathe is made out of an element called oxygen." He nodded at Sarah for her to continue.

"Thank you for clarifying, Your Majesty." Sarah smiled at him. He always was helpful in those translations. "We are ordering oxygen tanks from above. These are compressed air and one tank should be enough for each boy to get out. After Orion and Helena are out, we will assess which boy to bring out first."

She got visibly emotional so she turned to Jareth. He understood and took over the rest of the explanations.

He didn't care who saw anymore. He reached out and held her hand, giving it a kiss. "The families of the boys and the coach have stood in solidarity. They will not know who gets rescued first and will instead wait to see their loved ones until after all have been rescued."

Everyone gasped at this. It was a brave, brave thing to do when one just wanted to hug their child. Not a dry eye was in the room and Jareth reached over to wrap his arm around an emotional Sarah.

"And they will be rescued." Jareth said firmly. "Everyone will be alright. We will trust one another and have faith. That is what his disaster taught us. Even in the face of pain, in the face of danger, we have all handed together as one. Being united is our strength. And I am proud to be a part of this group.

Everyone clapped for Jareth. It was true, even with differences, everyone banded together and didn't scoff at each other even for outrageous ideas.

When the applause calmed down, Sarah started again. "Yes, thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to use my skills to help these boys. It means the world to me that you see me as someone who can truly help. None of this would be possible without the assistance of everyone here. I mean it."

—

Helena and Orion came out of the cave exhausted but with some news. Both good and bad.

"The good news is that no one is hurt. Some scratches here and there and fatigue, but all were able to speak. They got water from the fresh water that came from above their heads." Helena informed them. "The mentor, he's the one who kept them alive. He wants to pass the message that he feels this is all his fault and he insists on being the last to go so he may watch over the boys. He taught them meditation techniques to preserve their energy and gave them all the food he had."

"The press may know that, but don't let the order of the boys be known." Jareth commanded. "The mentor is to be commended for his bravery and his insight."

"What's the bad news?" Sarah bit her bottom lip in worry.

"The water is rising at a faster rate than you predicted, my lady." Orion rubbed his sleepy eyes. "We have maybe a day less than predicted."

"Then we need to hurry and decide how we are going to get people out." She said.

"I suggest we get the strongest of the boys out first. We do two at a time, two divers per boy so six people out at a time. We have more of our people coming to help." Triton reassured them.

"Everyone in their places!" Jareth commanded. "Medics, you wait at the entrance. Divers, you rest as much as you can. We have everything set up. Let's do this."

Everyone huddled around in a circle and placed their hands in the middle. They grasped each other's hands, feeling adrenaline rush through to them. "Let's save our boys!"

The entire kingdom held their breaths as the operation took place. Very few knew of the exact nature of the operation as scrutiny was going to come their way should it be revealed. A merman was waiting in one spot of high ground for the boys to rest. The air can be refilled if needed during that time. They would be carried the whole way, harnessed onto the rope. One diver in front to hold the boy, the other in back to hold the oxygen tank. Working day and night, it was possible to get as many as six boys out in 24 hours.

Communication would have to be scrapped for this. There wasn't a way to make things waterproof for everything and time was short.

Two by two, the boys started to appear. Every boy out was a race against time, a race against the floods that threatened to overwhelm them.

And at long last, when the coach was out, everyone was relieved. They prayed to whatever god(s) they believed in, they hugged their boys and cried with them, and the mentor was commended by King Jareth himself.

* * *

Since that day, the respect for Sarah had spread like wildfire. She was well liked in her kingdom, but now, she was seen as not just a good hearted person. She was seen as a true leader in times of crisis.

Has this happened when she was younger, she would've ate up all of the attention. But now, she was older. She was wiser. All she did was tell everyone that she did what anyone else would do: use the knowledge that she had to take care of others.

Jareth whistled in his greenhouse. He watered some petunias in the calmness of the day. It had been a few weeks since the boys had been rescued from the cave and he was enjoying his quiet time.

He felt a presence in his little green house. Before he could turn around, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him and lips kissing his back.

"Hello, my king." Sarah leaned into him. Her hand moved up to where his heart was.

Jareth placed his hand on hers and closed his eyes. "How was tea with Hoghead?"

"You still can't say his name right, can't you?" Sarah's voice was full of amusement.

Jareth turned around and intertwined his fingers behind her, pulling her close. He kissed her eyelids and rubbed his nose with hers. To his delight, she let out a giggle. "It's become something almost endearing now between us."

That part was true. Jareth no longer messed up Hoggle's name to be mean, but as a term of endearment, a nickname between friends. Hoggle now found it hilarious and in turn, he kept calling Jareth a brat.

Sarah held up a basket of goodies. "Hoggle says 'tell the brat I made sure to put in extra sugar in these cookies just for him.' And boy, they are way too sweet!"

Jareth grinned and took a bite. "Mmm. These are delicious. Tell Hogwart I want the recipe for these new cookies."

"You're insane." Sarah play punched him gently.

Jareth showed her his pointy teeth. "You say that and yet, you're the one dating me." He moved so that his lips were right below her ear. "Who's the insane one now?"

Sarah gave him one quick kiss before pulling back and dragging him to sit on the bench.

"That's all you're going to give me is one peck on the lips?" He pouted.

"Later, Jareth. I have something I want to discuss with you."

He looked worried. What was she going to talk about?

Sarah held his hands and looked directly into his eyes seriously. "Jareth, I love you more anything. We've known each other for so long long and experienced so much together."

She rubbed his knuckles with her thumbs. Looking into his worried eyes, she have made sure to show him her love but also her disappointment. "Why didn't you tell me you went to see The Council?"

Jareth closed his eyes and breathed out nervously. He had been wondering how to tell her and now she knew it but was upset that he hid it from her.

He tried to pull his hands away but she refused to let them go.

"Jareth." Sarah looked at him seriously. "Don't close up on me now." She places a hand on his cheek. "Please. Talk to me. I'm not angry. I just want to know why and what happened."

"How did you know?" He said in pain. "I didn't tell anyone."

"I was in your office when you asked me to grab your things. I saw a list in there."

Jareth looked back into her pleading eyes. Oh, Sarah. His Sarah. His sweet, sweet Sarah. All she wanted to do was to love him and to understand him. She was patient and kind, not pushing him.

He sat down with her, still holding her hands. And like a dam, he told her everything he knew. He told her of his fear, his insecurity, his worry that she would refuse him. He told her of his fear that she may not beat the trials with him. He told her that he didn't want to live the rest of his life without her. He told her that he wasn't going to settle for less than being her equal.

"I will be a mortal for you." He put his hands on her shoulders. "I refuse to live an eternity without you. I want to grow old with you if you do."

"No, Jareth I can't ask you to do that!" Sarah put her face in her hands and exhaled. "You can't make a hasty decision!"

"You don't have to ask me, because I've already made that decision and have done so for a long time." He said firmly. "Without you, my life will be dark. That's the beauty of being mortal; you can grow old with someone. And we will have that. If one of us passes earlier, then the other one follows relatively shortly compared to immortals. We will either spend a life time or an eternity together. I know that the spell to become mortal doesn't need anyone's permission."

He showed her his medallion. "I will appoint an heir and raise them if you fail the trials. But I pray it won't come to that. I rather enjoy the way this kingdom is being run and you can offer yourself to more than just a lifetime of improvements to the Underground."

He held her hands in his. "Please, Sarah. Respect that it's the decision I want to make. I could do much Above too. Let me have the possibility of growing old with you."

Sarah didn't want to argue with him. She really didn't want him to give up a long life just for her, so she went back to her original point. "Jareth, you say that, but you went to see the council WITHOUT me. It's MY life and my decision to make too."

She removed her hands from his and held his face. "I love you. We will go through life together, there's no need to be insecure. No more secrets about this, please. Promise?"

Jareth dared to look back at her. Sarah's green eyes were sparkling back at him. He knew right then and there that she wasn't going to leave him.

He kissed her fervently. Sarah didn't protest. This was a hungry kiss that he wanted to feel reassurance from. That what she said was true about going through life together.

He placed his forehead on hers. "I promise, Sarah. I'm sorry."

"Shh." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you."

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm no engineer (I'm a biochemistry major myself) so I hope everything seemed realistic enough.
> 
> The boys in the cave may sound familiar, because it was based on the story of the Thai boys in the cave in 2018. I added my own differences in the story though! It was amazing how people came together to help these boys. The boys apparently had no idea that the whole world were looking for them, or even the whole country! People kept blaming the coach which is sad because he felt so guilty. He also saved the boys. Amazingly, all were brought back safe. Sadly though, there was one former Thai navy seal who died trying to place oxygen tanks for them and another man passed from an infection from the caves since then. Rest In Peace Sirs. :(


	11. Twenty-Five

Seeing Sarah save those boys solidified Jareth's determination to make her his queen. He was going to marry her and he didn't care who stood in his way. Only Sarah herself had the power to stop them from being together and he knew she wasn't going to do that.

They had taken a year to prepare to meet with the council together. Sarah quickly rose up the ranks in mastering magic, something they had both worked hard on to make sure that she was as skilled as a human could possibly be since becoming an immortal would make it so she was slower at learning. They discussed possibilities of what to do. They could both live underground until Sarah died if Jareth remained immortal but if he chose to become mortal with her, then they'd live Above together for their children would also be mortal.

Daniel and Lydia were ready to temporarily take over the kingdom for as long as needed during the trials. They discussed who they trusted enough to help secure the kingdom during Sarah's transformation should she succeed for the amount of magic it took to transform her would take magic away from the Underground.

Getting a vote from the other monarchs of the kingdom had proved more difficult in ways they hadn't thought of but easier in ways they hadn't thought of as well. Ingrid and Raynard were still fuming about how Jareth banished them from the goblin kingdom and took away that part of their magic. They tried to concoct lies of Sarah being a gold digger, a human desperate for immortality and bewitched the goblin king. Lucky for them, tales of Sarah's bravery and quick thought in saving the boys from the Spider Caves spread and even the merfolk testified Sarah's hard work. She was more than capable of ruling the kingdom as Jareth's equal and his replacement should something befell him or if he died first (he assured that wouldn't happen because they would cross that bridge of life when they got there). Sarah was granted the crown matrimonial if she was able to pass the test to become immortal.

Jareth decided that he had something important to do before they met with the council. He approached Jeremy again to ask for his advice.

He had rehearsed over and over how to propose to Sarah and how to talk to her family.

"What do you think?" Jareth said. "Too nervous?"

"Truth be told, a little nervousness is good because it shows you care." Jeremy stroked his chin. "Jareth, you've known them for years now. Just be yourself."

Jareth plopped himself on Jeremy's couch. "But I'm asking for his daughter's hand! I'm going to ask Robert if I could take her to possibly be my _queen_!"

The older man raised an eyebrow and spoke in a very serious voice. "Jareth, don't EVER say that. You're not asking for her hand, you're asking for a blessing. She is the one to make the decision and Robert needs to understand that too."

He tilted his head at the king. Jareth's eyes were full of worry and it showed in the rest of his body. He was so tense, Jeremy could almost see the knots in his muscles.

Jareth turned over and grabbed a cushion to his chest. "Robert has been quite calm during our whole courtship, but seriously I'm afraid of what he'll do and say. Being a wife is very different from being my girlfriend. Not to mention a queen."

"I know." Jeremy tried to not roll his eyes as he snatched the cushion from Jareth's hands and propped it up right. He told the king for the millionth time to NOT ruin his couch but he let it go this time for the pressure he was under.

As Linda's ex, Jeremy also knew what Robert was like and had seen the dynamic of the Williams family unfold long before Jareth. "Robert has been raised like so many men of his time have, to be wary of another man's presence in his daughter's life. He is a lot more relax and isn't possessive of Sarah like some odd fathers do, but he is protective. He is still a father and no father wants their children hurt."

He handed Jareth a photo. The king carefully took it and smiled. It was a photo of him, Sarah, and Jeremy during a small dinner they decided to have together after her graduation. She was wearing her cap and gown, looking bright and excited while the two men flanked her in pride.

"You love her." Jeremy almost whispered. "That photo is enough to be able to tell. Just be honest. Be you. They already love and adore you! Do not ask for permission. Ask for a blessing. I promise that he will say yes."

Jareth traced the photo with his finger, brushing against where Sarah's beautiful face was. He reached over and hugged Jeremy. "Thank you, Jeremy. It means the world to me."

Jeremy hugged him back. "Of course my boy. Anything for you. Your mother would be proud today of you." He released Jareth from his embrace and ruffled the King's hair like he often did when Jareth was young. "Go and win them over."

And winning them over was exactly what Jareth intended to do. Jeremy shook his head in amusement at seeing Jareth walk out his door nervously.

"He already won them over, doesn't that silly boy realize?" He sipped some tea.

* * *

Robert and Karen were both surprised at Jareth asking to meet with them alone and at that time of night. They were even more surprised to see him shaking like a leaf.

"Oh come in honey. Don't track mud in the house though if you can. Wait stay here." She ran to grab some towels and cane running back. "Here, dry yourself off."

"Thank you." Jareth gave her a shy smile. He had flown to the house instead of teleporting and the rain came on him suddenly. He was so nervous, he didn't want to risk using his magic and having it backfire.

Robert handed him his robe. "Here, let's get you dry. Where's Sarah? Is she alright?"

It was just so unusual for Jareth to show up unannounced and at this time. The parents momentarily wondered if Sarah had kicked him out or something but even that didn't make sense for the castle was his home. Was she hurt?

"Oh she's great." He gave a shaky laugh. "Everything is fine. I just wanted to talk to you about something. Alone."

They all sat in the living room. Robert and Karen were on one side and Jareth on the other. Jareth twiddled with his fingers a bit. Nothing was going the way he had planned. He wanted to treat them to a dinner and dress up nicely but he was too nervous and wanted to get it over with before he went crazy. He sighed and figured he might as well get it over with.

"What is it?" Robert asked quietly. He put an arm around Karen, more for his own comfort than for hers.

Jareth figured maybe it would be better to show him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Opening it, Karen had gasped while Robert's eyes widened and darted back and forth from the king to the ring.

Jareth cleared his throat. "I first want to apologize for not thinking clearer when I came. I had expected to come and be dressed a little more appropriately." He laughed shakily. "I love Sarah. More than I could ever say. And through her, I have gained so much. She has made me a better man in every way possible. She has also given me a family, all of you. You both have taken me in as a son and have treated me with such kindness. And for that, I want to ask for your blessing to marry the woman of my dreams."

He took another shaky breath. "I've told you about the trials. How she may or may not end up immortal. In that case, we may give that up and live here, Above. I would be content so long as I have her with me. But it would mean the world if you both approve of our union."

They sat silent for a moment, but it seemed like an eternity. Karen looked to her husband. She knew her answer, but Sarah was Robert's little girl. He deserved to speak first.

Robert let out a laugh and wiped happy tears from his eyes. "Jareth, I will give more than my blessing. In fact, I was waiting for when you'd decide on marriage!"

He reached over to give Jareth a big bear hug. "My little princess is going to be a queen!"

Karen squeezed Jareth's hand and kissed his cheek. "Jareth, you have always been family to us. We love you." Karen smiled. "It means a lot that you'd ask for our blessing."

"Sarah told me it wasn't a thing to ask in the Underground though." Robert said. "She said that you usually just talked about marriage but this whole proposal and the ring wasn't a thing."

"It isn't." Jareth handed the ring to Robert for his inspection. "She doesn't expect a proposal for that reason. But I want to propose to her. I have a plan to really do that right and not in the middle of the night." All three chuckled at that.

"The ring is beautiful." Karen loved the way it reflected the light. "Sarah will love it. But mostly because she loves you."

All three reminisced and talked for a bit. Just as Jareth was about to go, they heard something shuffle.

"Oh no you don't!" Karen yelled down the hall. "Tobias James! Come out here NOW! You should be asleep!"

Toby dragged himself out of his room and hung his head in shame.

"You really should be in bed." Robert clicked his tongue. "It's a school night."

Toby wasn't paying attention to his parents though. He was looking right at Jareth.

"You're going to marry Sarah?" His eyes got large with happiness.

Happiness radiated all over Jareth. Her family, all of them, approved! Even Toby!

"Yes." Jareth pulled Toby in for a hug. "I love her."

"I can't wait until you're my brother!" Toby eagerly hugged him back. "But you're already like my brother, ya know?"

Jareth started to tear up. Sarah's family had truly become his. "Don't tell Sarah yet though, I mean she knows we're going to marry but I'm going to propose to her in a special way."

"Can't wait!" Toby jumped excitedly. "Let me help you with wedding plans right now!"

"Okay, it is bedtime." Karen said sternly. "I only let you stay up a few minutes to hug Jareth because this is a special occasion." She beamed at the king. Sternly again, she folded her arms at Toby. "Go to bed or I will take away your video game privileges."

"Yes mom." Toby whined.

"You need to go to bed too, Jareth." Robert patted his shoulder. "We can't wait to hear Sarah's reaction!"

* * *

Spring equinox was coming up. It was also the day Jareth had sent an official decree that he was courting Sarah four years ago and they had considered it their anniversary as it wa the day Jareth had sent out a decree that he was courting her to chase off any other women who tried for his hand.

Unlike the way he asked for her parents' blessing, he planned every little detail of his proposal to her. He also had someone special he wanted to ask for help in pulling it off.

Three someones, in fact.

He honestly should've spoke with them before getting permission from the other monarchs for the crown matrimonial, but it was too late for that. He cursed himself for not being thoughtful enough but Jeremy's words rang in his mind, that this was his relationship with Sarah and no one else's. Everyone else was a part of their life but the final say was those two, for this was their love and theirs alone unless they chose to share it. They needn't feel guilty for anything.

Jareth had on his best, comfortable clothing. He didn't want to appear frightening to them. He wore a baby blue shirt with white pants that were loose compared to what he usually wore. His dark blue cape flew around him as the wind died down. Breathing in to clear his mind, he knocked on Hoggle's door.

Hoggle opened it up and was taken aback by Jareth's appearance. The king dressed, nicely? As if to appear more approachable than how he usually seemed. He was about to make his usual jest at the king and call him a brat, but the look on Jareth's face told him now was not the time to play games. The king had summoned all of them and asked to meet at his place instead of the castle. Also odd.

"Uh, come in." The dwarf said. "Ludo and Didymus are already in the garden."

"Thank you, Hoggle." Jareth walked to the garden in silence. Hoggle noticed that he was carrying three packages. Presents, perhaps?

Long ago, he would've been scared of any "present" from Jareth for the king was unpredictable. But since Sarah, since their friendship and subsequent courtship, his torturous mind games had stopped and uncalled for cruelty as well.

Ludo and Sir Didymus were talking comfortably, Didymus on and on about some glorious tale he heard and Ludo patiently listening to him.

They both bowed their heads when the king came into view. He looked so much softer and gentler than he usually did.

Jareth inclined his head to them and took a seat. Hoggle come behind him with some tea and ginger snaps.

"Hoggle make yummy food." Ludo smiled happily. "Hoggle good friend."

"Were these the recipes from Lady Karen?" Sir Didymus asked him.

"Uh no actually. Sarah gave me a cookbook for different treats last Christmas." Hoggle said with pride.

"You have a hand for cooking, that's for sure." Jareth offered.

They all nodded politely and thanked him, but Jareth could feel the distance. He felt a little awkward, not realizing how out of place he was. He mentally kicked himself for being so mean for so long.

A few doubts started to creep in. When Sarah would (hopefully) become his queen, she needed allies and consistent friends. These friends were exactly that. Pure hearted and cared for her even though Hoggle had double crossed her a few times when she was 15. Jareth worried that they wouldn't like him. Of course, he didn't have to worry if they liked him or not. But he wanted them to. He had never really spent time alone with them except to carry out orders or with Sarah around. It wasn't a bad thing, but he felt a little odd being their superior when Sarah was their equal.

In truth, he was also their equal. He may be Sarah's lover, but they were her friends. She loved all of them first.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his courage. Who knew that he would be so nervous to talk to his own subjects?

When he opened them, he handed all of them each a package. "I have a question to ask, a favor, and a present to give to each of you." When they didn't make a move, he continued. "Please open the presents first."

They slowly tore the paper and were delighted in their presents. Each of them had a lovely album full of pictures. It was all decorated in a personalized way with pictures of Sarah and them all over. A few of Sarah's family and Jareth were scattered here and there but it was mostly of them and Sarah. There were even little quotes on the bottom of some of the pages about friendship and bravery.

"Wow, these are great!" Hoggle held the book close to his heart after seeing some photos of Sarah giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Sarah friend!" Ludo traced a small heart on the bottom of a page.

"My lady certainly has a good hand in crafts. Thank you for giving us this gift, Your Majesty." Sir Didymus said.

Jareth felt his heart warm at the sight and gratefulness. "You're welcome. But Sarah didn't make these. I did."

They all blinked and looked at him in shock.

"I had help from Toby." He said fondly. Karen had given them all the crafts they needed and Robert rolled his eyes at the amount of glue that somehow got stuck in Jareth's hair.

He leaned forward a bit, facing his palms up at them. "My question is this. You know that I love Sarah. With all my heart. You three also know that she is going to be considered for immortality, a secret known only to the monarchs and very few trusted people. I ask you for your blessing for me to marry her."

No one moved save to blink. This, this was just unheard of. Why would he ask them for their blessing?

Jareth answered their unspoken question. "You three are her closest friends and allies in the Underground. No doubt she will make more friends but the ones who will be the most loyal to her are you three. And I bet, no matter how many friends she has, she will never fall out of friendship with you. Your blessing would mean a lot to us."

He twiddled his thumbs nervously and looked down at his feet.

Sir Didymus looked at the other two, his whiskers twitching with delight. Hoggle began to smile too and so did Ludo.

"Your Majesty." The fox said. "Thy grace and love for our lady is unparalleled indeed. There is no doubt that you two aren't just in love, but a well matched pair. She will be an amazing queen."

"Always wondered how long it would take." Hoggle said. "You've been eyeing her for years. Of course you have my blessing. You've been good to her and a better person. Even if you're a brat." His eyes twinkled with amusement.

"King good friend. King good husband." Ludo pulled Jareth into an embrace.

They all thanked him for their feelings and consideration, only asking to be a part of their Underground wedding party. Jareth said he would be delighted and he was sure Sarah would love it.

Jareth wasn't expecting happy tears to fall. He didn't realize how relieved he was until now. Funny, he didn't have to worry about anyone liking or approving of him.

They already had.

* * *

They were ecstatic when Jareth asked them all to help with his proposal. To be a part of something so special for Sarah meant a lot to them, and even more so that Jareth was offering himself.

The plan was to have Hoggle distract Sarah during Spring Equinox. They would have possibly a few hours while Sir Didymus and Ludo would help Jareth set up. He also went Above to her family to be in the surprise as well.

Sarah was a bit disappointed. Jareth said he had some business to attend to and wouldn't be able to be back until this evening. It was spring equinox too, their fourth anniversary of announcing their courtship to her family and to the Underground. It was also the tenth anniversary of her wishing Toby away and the day she and Jareth met.

In a few short weeks, they were going to visit The Council and were hoping to have some quality time spent together. A little calm before the storm.

She complained this to Hoggle, who offered to spend the day with her. They had a lovely time actually, and it was too bad Sir Didymus and Ludo couldn't join them. They went fishing, baked some goodies for a fundraiser that was happening at one of the schools, and gardened.

"I had a lovely day." Sarah thanked Hoggle. "Thank you."

"Of course girlie." Hoggle beamed. "I wish ya could do that more often. I'm sorry Jareth wasn't able to spend time with you today."

Sarah instantly felt a bit guilty. "Oh, of course I wanted to spend the day with him but it's nice to be with friends too. We should spend time one on one more often like you said. I always hang out with you, Sir Didymus, and Ludo but hardly with any of you alone."

"It's okay." Hoggle patted her hand. "He loves you. When two people are in love, they should be the most important people to each other. It's just how it is. I know now that I'm not worth any less."

Sarah felt so grateful for such an understanding friend. After 10 years of friendship, they knew each other quite well by now.

She was just dusting the dirt off her when Sir Didymus and Ludo showed up. Both had smiles when they saw her.

"Hey guys!" Sarah waved. "Where were you all day? Hoggle said you were busy!"

Ludo hid a laugh and Sir Didymus's mustache twitched. "My lady, we have a very important message for you. From the king."

Sarah was taken aback. "From Jareth? Is he alright?"

"Jareth okay." Ludo handed her an envelope.

Sarah was feeling a bit unnerved by all their smiles. She took the paper and carefully opened it.

_Sarah,_

_I apologize for not spending spring equinox with you. I said I had important things to do and I while I did, I was also planning something for you. Humor me by playing this little treasure hunt, won't you? Take this charm with you for your little journey._

_Where the owl sits_

_And the girl with wits_

_First shared a feeling_

_Of delight, of magic,_

_Where the tale of old_

_Starts to unfold_

_For an extraordinary girl_

_In an otherwise ordinary world_

_-Jareth_

Sarah pulled out a little owl charm that was meant to be placed on a bracelet. She touched it, thinking of her wild haired king. "Jareth and his riddles." Sarah shook her head playfully.

"Yer good at them though." Hoggle said. "You figured out the one with the doors, didn't ya?"

"That's true." Sarah thought about it for a moment. "The tale of old starts to unfold…"

Then she had it. "The park!"

The park where she used to act out the story was the place where she had felt magic for the first time. It was also where Jareth had been watching her.

She entered a mirror to transport Above. Walking around the park, she tried to find the spot where she used to act out her story alone with Merlin. Had it really been nearly ten years ago?

She felt some magic around her. She conjured a crystal and used to as a tracking device. There, behind a tree, was another note.

She opened it and another charm was there. This time it was a small crystal, clear and transparent that was also made to be put on a bracelet.

_My Dearest,_

_My my, what a clever girl for finding this letter! I am not at all surprised that you were able to find it. Truly, this was where I found you curious and lovely. I wanted to make your dreams come true that day and I had not expected for you to win. But I'm glad you did for you were made my equal._

_I think this next location will be fairly simple to find though I may be wrong._

_The place where your next charm will be found_

_Is a place of love unbound_

_Where a girl of teen years_

_Learned to face her darkest fears_

_With a king so dark_

_Who was full of snark_

_Tried to offer her dreams_

_And she turned them down, not fully understanding what they mean_

_Good luck._

_-J_

Sarah thought of one of two places where this could work, either the Escher room or Toby's room. She decided to try Toby's room first as she was Above. Her mind kept spinning at the last line, that she didn't know fully what he meant back then when he offered her dreams. He was offering dreams that weren't just hers but his as well.

She got to her old home and to her surprise, no one was home.

Getting up the stairs, she went into Toby's old room where Jareth had come to give her the chance to win him back. It took her a moment to see that the new letter was taped on the window sill.

_You've done it again! I wanted you to accept my offer back then, to let me be a part of your dreams. I am grateful now that I are a part of something better: your life._

_Now, Sarah, can you solve this riddle?_

_A mask_

_A face_

_A disguise in fact_

_A thought to scare_

_Didn't win her back_

_The girl with fire_

_The king with glare_

_Held an argument_

_Deep under there_

_-Your Jareth_

Memories flooded her. She remembered how frightened she was but also that he wouldn't hurt her. She felt small, but brave too. She had grown so much since then.

"An argument?" Sarah wasn't quite sure where that would be. They had quite a few arguments and debates. She thought about the New Year's Eve when she confronted him about his feelings for her, but that didn't really fit.

"A mask? A disguise?" She thought for a moment, sitting down. She thought of the masquerade from the peach dream but that was a dream. Or the one during her 16th birthday but they didn't argue then.

Then, it hit her.

Sarah found herself in the underground tunnels where the false alarms were.

"Go back while you still can!" One of them boomed.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Come on guys, just let me through."

She reached the area where Jareth had sent the cleaners after her. She understood now that it was an illusion. It wouldn't have made sense for him to send the actual cleaners after her. She thought about Jareth's taunting gaze, his teasing smirk and how much she wanted to punch him in the face but also wish for him to kiss her.

"He is an enigma." She laughed at herself. Brushing off a few cobwebs, she found the disguise Jareth had worn as a blind beggar crumpled on the ground. She lifted the cloak up and found another letter.

"Gotcha!" She conjured a crystal to light up the tunnels so she could read.

_My love,_

_You've done it again! Oh, this was the place where I knew that you were different. So young, yet so defiant. You didn't cater to me or shrank back. You had been frightened of me in your home but this. Oh this was different. You confused me, made me frustrated and angry but you still made me curious. I paid close attention to you after that. I found myself more and more infatuated with you and held back as much as I could. The fire in you pierced through my soul and I will never forget that for as long as I live._

_Your next location is this:_

_The king of goblins placed a labyrinth not just in his kingdom but his heart_

_Only one has been able to do her part_

_To save his soul_

_And played her role_

_All by opening the door_

_And the king loved her_

_Forevermore_

_-Jareth_

Sarah found a little mask charm and laughed, signifying how he tried to hide his feelings for her. Even cuter, it was a half mask like for phantom of the opera, their favorite musical.

She reread the first part of how he felt that fire in him from her. Even when she was a child, he saw something special in her. He had been an ass, but he never hurt her or moved to her inappropriately. Except maybe his pants. Those pants were honestly one of the more frustration things about him.

She wasn't quite sure of the riddle, where the location should be. She felt touched at seeing his simple yet beautiful words about her. Clutching the letter to her chest, she let a few tears flow just thinking about how she loved him.

When Sarah realized where the next location was, she groaned. "Really?"

She went back Above to her childhood home, feeling a tad annoyed that she had to go back up. Her family was home now.

"Oh Sarah!" Karen greeted her. "What are you doing here?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and laughed. "You guys are so bad at pretending you don't know what's going on. He's sending me down memory lane."

Toby looked like he was going to burst from excitement. "I know what Jareth's up to!" He said in a sing song voice.

Robert put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Hey, don't say anything. Jareth is going to be mad. Would you like some food before you finish your treasure hunt?"

"So you do know what he's up to." She laughed. "Maybe some snacks. I think he's planning some special anniversary dinner."

"Does he do that often?" Karen tried to keep her face straight. Oh, Sarah had no idea what was coming!

"He is romantic but doesn't go out of his way that often, which is totally fine. He's a king and we prefer to spend time together rather than anything else. Still, it is sooo nice to be able to do this romantic game." She grabbed a piece of banana bread.

"Well, we won't keep you too long." Robert kissed her forehead. "Your king is probably waiting for you. Have fun princess!"

"Yeah!" Toby looked like he was about to explode with excitement again until Karen gave him a look to keep quiet.

Sarah walked over to the living room. There was the small table that was set the same way as it had ten years ago, even with little teacups on it. On the table was another letter.

She was filled with nostalgia. She loved Jareth so much, and this whole journey was making her feel overwhelmed.

_You've run so long, you've run so far_

So far indeed. She could be so cruel, and so could he.

She smiled at finding a little chess charm in the letter. Opening it, she began to read again.

_Precious,_

_For so long, I had felt that I was living without the very sunlight itself. My heart wasn't fit for love until you came. You took a chance at meeting with me, to break down my walls. And it started in this room. You could've ignored me but you didn't. My pride would never have let me approach you again and I thank you for keeping me in your life. I love you._

_Your next location:_

_A winter's kiss_

_Full of bliss_

_Where hearts collide_

_During Yuletide,_

_With gentle eyes_

_And hellos, no good byes,_

_Sweetness in full_

_And souls intertwine_

_-Jareth_

There was no question where this place was. How could she ever forget that first kiss she shared with Jareth? The kiss that made her realize what she had been missing all along. The kiss that made her stop denying her love for him.

She transported again back to the Underground and into the greenhouse. She saw the note on the bench where they had shared their first kiss. It was so sweet, so pure, so full of hope and love. She had kisses from him since then but that kiss will always be forever ingrained in her mind and heart.

She found an interesting charm this time. A turtle dove holding a seashell in its beak. She loved how this was a combination between their Yuletide gifts: her owl made of seashells for Jareth and the turtle dove snow globe he had given her, both of which were on their nightstand back in their chambers.

She opened the letter and sat on the bench to read this one.

_Oh my Sarah,_

_Tell me that you remembered our first kiss the way I remembered it. The way it was full of sweetness, of love, of pureness and hope. It was a kiss I will never forget. You made my soul fly that night. You sent me to the stars themselves and when I came back down to earth, you caught me in your arms to hold me tight._

Sarah had to stop reading for a moment, overwhelmed with love. He was so poetic, so romantic in his colorful visuals. He wasn't even here beside her and yet, she could feel goosebumps as if he was.

_Sometimes I looked back on my life and I see that I had good times and bad times. But it wasn't until you that I found what made my life worth living. My life turned upside down, Precious. It turned upside down from an existence of monotony to one of color. Every breath I took, I was able to see the beauty in the world before and after you would leave my side. I wanted to protect you, to love you but I felt that I was too dangerous, too dark for your light. Thank the heavens that you proved me wrong and demanded me to come to my senses._

_Your last location, my love, will not have a riddle. My only clues for you is that is the place where we confessed the deepest desires of our hearts, of love._

_See you soon,_

_Jareth_

Sarah felt her heart pound in her chest. She felt a little underdressed from all her treasure seeking. But remembering that this was Jareth, her own love, she just dealt with it and went to their chambers.

She had expected that since he did not give her a riddle, that he would be in their chambers. That maybe there would be rose petals on the bed or something. She had hoped to convince him to maybe take a bath together as she probably still smelled like fish from fishing with Hoggle and dirt from gardening with him. To her surprise, he wasn't there.

Reaching their chambers, she saw a note on the bed and a bracelet. Seeing that the bracelet had little links, she placed all of her charms on it and put it on her wrist. She set the rest of his letters to her in a neat pile in her drawer and read the last one.

_Precious,_

_Ha! I bet that you were expecting me to be in our chambers, weren't you? Probably with rose petals on the bed!_

Sarah laughed. Oh he knew her well.

_I feel like this has gone into a full circle. This very room was a place of loneliness for me until you came. It was the place where we first confessed our love for each other. We had shown it in other ways, but actually hearing and see your lips form the words did wonders to me. I felt, whole. Like I had no idea what was missing until you gave it to me._

_Then, do you remember, a while after New Year's Eve, how we made love for the first time?_

God, how could she ever forget?

_I finally felt safe. I felt nervous but no shame, no fear in your running. I knew I was yours and you were mine. I thought I gave myself to you a long time ago but that night, our passions helped me to realize that I had more to offer you. I love you, Sarah. I love you with every single fiber of my being and I intend to show it to you forever._

_I have a special date planned for us tonight, as it is spring equinox. Please humor me some more by putting this dress on. If you want makeup, I have also provided some. Take your time to do what you need, there is no rush. Hogtwat told me that you already had something to eat at your parents' house-_

"What is with him and those nicknames for Hoggle?" Sarah shook her head.

_But I have instructed a servant to be ready to get you something, as I am sure you must be tired from running around all over the place._

Her stomach growled. Damn, he really thought of everything!

_When you are done, touch the crystal and say my name to arrive at the place of our date._

_With all my love,_

_Your Jareth_

Sarah decided to take a quick shower and was so grateful that Jareth gave her that chance. Sometimes they didn't bother to doll up for dates if they were busy but this seemed too special for her to be smelling like sweat. She ordered some food and had a small sandwich. She blow dried her hair and saw the dress on the bed to put it on.

This was easily one of the more daring dresses that Sarah had ever tried to wear. Beautiful green satin gown that hug around her body modestly in the front, coming up in a halter top. On the back, however, was completely bare.

"Business in the front, party in the back." She said with amusement. She blushed at the thought of him seeing her in such an outfit. It was daring and sexy but nothing too out there. She put on just some light make up, some golden highlights and a peach colored lip gloss that Jareth had cheekily provided for her. She couldn't wait to see what he had planned.

Looking into their mirror, she made last minute adjustments and shivered from seeing how she looked. And normally she wouldn't think so, but damn, did she look good.

She touched the crystal in her palm. "Jareth."

Her surroundings changed and she was near the waterfall. The sun was starting to set and little fireflies came and went all around her. She smelled the sweet peach blossoms and sighed contently.

Jareth had been hiding behind the trees, watching his Sarah look fondly at the fireflies. How beautiful she was! And her dress... oh the way she moved in it made his heart flutter. Her hair in the wind, her back bare... she was gorgeous. She was glowing like the queen he had always wanted her to be. He saw the flash of silver from her bracelet and smiled at seeing it on her. He almost didn't interrupt her from wanting to just admire her for hours. No matter how many times he saw her, she took his breath away.

Sarah heard a few notes filling the wind. Listening even closer, she recognized the intro of song that was coming through. It was a favorite of hers and Jareth, All I Ask of you from the musical Phantom of the Opera.

She heard the trees shift and saw Jareth walking out wearing an outfit that matched hers. He wore a nice suit with a green handkerchief in his pocket that matched her dress. His eyes were painted golden and his lips a peachy color. The sunset gave his fluffy hair a tinge that made it seem like he was glowing. His eyes shone with love and adoration for her as he sang the lines of one of their favorite songs.

" _No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide-eyed fears, I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you_." He walked closer to her, his gait almost as if he was gliding towards her like a magnet.

He inched closer and closer. " _Let me be your freedom. Let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you. To guard you and to guide you_." He held his hand out, as if to really ask her to let him care for her.

Sarah bit the bottom of her lip in feign shyness as she touched his hand. He didn't wear gloves and she felt the electricity instantly sparking between them as they closed their hands around each other. She sang Christine's lines back to Jareth. " _Say you love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always, promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you_." She touched his face and caressed the side of his cheek with her hand.

Jareth gulped and nearly missed singing Raoul's lines at the feel of her hand on his face. " _Let me be your shelter. Let me be your light! You're safe, no one will find you, your fears are far behind you_."

Still channeling her inner Christine, Sarah turned her head from him and put the back of her free hand to her forehead dramatically. " _All I want is freedom, a world with no more night. And you, always beside me. To hold me and to hide me!_ " She loved being able to break into song, the classic Disney princess moment! And with Jareth, no less.

Jareth gulped. This was the big moment. This was everything he had ever wanted. He already knew her answer but he had to hear her say it. He had to ask her this way, to give her a little of the fairytale she had always dreamed of. He took her other hand and held both of hers in his. Smiling and never breaking eye contact, he belted out the next lines with power.

" _Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime! Let me lead you from your solitude!_ " He pulled her a little with him to be nearer to the peach blossoms. Once in the middle of the trees, he made sure she was really looking at him when he went down on one knee.

Sarah couldn't breathe when she saw him on one knee. She thought that maybe he was just being fun, trying to channel Raoul but no. He really was on one knee and he let go of one of her hands as he flicked his wrist to produce a small box. He flipped it open to show a beautiful ring.

Jareth kissed her left hand and sang a little quieter now, with hope and longing. " _Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go, let me go too! Sarah, that's all I ask of you_!"

Sarah was supposed to sing the next lines but tears filled her eyes and a lump was in her throat. She hadn't expected him to actually propose. They had talked about marriage but this? This was above and beyond anything she had imagined. Proposals weren't done romantically in the Underground like this, so for him to make her smile meant the world to her. Now she was squeezing his hand as tightly as she could. Oh, how she loved him.

The rest of the music and the world went on as time stopped for those two. Jareth kissed the back of her hand and held it to his heart. "My Sarah, my one and only. I love you with everything that I have. You are good. You are sweet. You are my life. You make everything brighter and happy. I have become a better man because of you and you've brought love back into my life. Not just from you, but from the friendships I've made."

He was shaking a little now, tears forming in his eyes and his lip trembled. "I will have you or no one. I don't care if you become an immortal, I will give up my immortality to be with you if you can't be immortal with me."

Sarah shook her head and sighed. "Jareth no-"

"Yes." He said firmly. "You will not be my consort or a mistress. I want you to be my equal, my queen! If not, I don't want to live my long life without you. I am willing to grow old beside you just as you are willing to live forever with me in this tedious job. It goes both ways, my love."

He had already planned to have a while to himself to raise an heir to rule his kingdom if he had to give up his immortality. He would not live without Sarah for the rest of eternity. Once he had a taste of what life was like with her, he couldn't go back to his reclusive self. It would kill him.

Sarah moved her palm to caress his face. She hadn't thought of it that way before. She knew she loved him and if it was reversed, she would also choose to give up immortality to grow old with him. Honestly, that didn't sound too bad. She still didn't want him to give all that up for her though.

"You will win the trials though." He whispered. "I'm sure of it. Sarah Lynn Williams, will you marry me? Will you make me the happiest man in both worlds? Be my wife and queen. You are my new dream, my love that will last." His voice tapered off to where she almost didn't hear him.

There was only one answer she would give him.

Getting on her knees to his level, she pulled him close and kissed his lips furiously. She wasn't rough but she wanted gentle either. It was the kind of kiss that was urgent, loving, and needing to prove that spark that they had.

Jareth felt his lips bruise and swell as Sarah kept on kissing him over and over. His arms circled around her, still holding the ring. He traced his bare fingers down the planes of her back from her shoulder blades and down the curve of her spine. She arched into him and her hands went from gripping his shirt to his hair.

When she finally pulled back, they were both breathless and flushed. Sarah smirked at seeing Jareth dazed with pure affection in his eyes. She brought his hand, the one that was holding the ring, and kissed his knuckles as he did hers. Never, never in all her life did she ever feel this way. She felt thankful and privileged to be able to share a love like this. Her heart felt so full, she thought it would burst.

"Down in the Underground, you'll find someone true..." she recited his own song back to him. "Jareth. Did you really think I could or would ever say no? There's no one I want to share eternity or even a human lifetime with. I will love you forever. Yes, I will marry you."

Sarah curled a strand of his hair behind his ear, watching him stare at her as if she was the sun itself. He began to tear up again. The tears freely fell and he inhaled a shuddering breath. "Oh Sarah. Forever isn't very long at all."

Sarah kissed the tears from his face. Jareth took her left hand and slid the ring on the forth finger in her left hand. It fit perfectly.

"It's perfect." Sarah breathed. "It's a beautiful design."

In the middle was an opal shaped into a crystal being encased in woven silver bands that criss-crossed in an infinity symbol. Surrounding the opal were intricate carvings of rivers made of sapphires and leaves made of emerald that glittered in the last few rays of sunlight. It It was the most gorgeous ring Sarah had ever seen.

"It's perfect." Sarah breathed. "I love the crystal in the middle and the small carvings.

"A symbol of our power as king and queen." Jareth kissed her neck. "All the materials belonged in Mother's jewelry collection."

Sarah heard the strain in his voice. She knew that he would miss having her there with him on their wedding day.

She kissed his lips. "That's so sweet of you, my love. Your mother would be proud and I hope that I would be good enough for her sweet son."

Jareth moved his thumb up and down slightly on her bare back, sending tingles through both of them. "You always know what to say. A wise queen you'll be." He cleared his throat a bit. "I thought to put the sapphire and emerald to represent the colors of our eyes." He said shyly.

Not for the first time, Sarah was in awe with his way of putting deep thoughts and meanings into symbols. He was hers, and she was his.

Peach blossoms fell on and around them like snow. Their hair collected little petals and the sweet perfume made them smile at the memory of their first dance.

Night was approaching fast, the stars lit up the night. The two lovers kissed again fervently, knowing that no matter what happened, they would be together. Always.

Jareth paid his cape down on the ground as he laid his fiancée on it. Sarah undid the ties on his shirt, going slow and carefully to make this moment last. With only nature and the stars to watch, they made love and declared their devotion to each other over and over.

"My queen." Jareth kissed her neck. "My queen now and forever."

"My one and only king." Sarah looked up into the stars and saw their constellation, the one he had drawn out for her when they first declared love.

He really did lay his love between the stars.

* * *

Jareth reached his hand out to Sarah. She took it gratefully.

"At the least, we're doing this together." Jareth said. "No matter the outcome."

"And that's the best part." Sarah squeezed his hand. "Let's do this."

Sarah had dressed differently for the council than was usually done. Instead of a dress, she wore practical clothing. Brown pants tucked into boots with a brown vest over a white poet's shirt and a belt cinched in place. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder for any materials they may need. Her hair was braided into a practical updo by Jareth.

Jareth also had on more practical clothing than usual though he was still dressed more lavishly than she did. He had on black tights and a grey shirt. No corset or heeled boots, but more practical ones. He put his cape away into a bag as well. Who knows what this trial would actually consist of.

They approached the castle and inside. Jareth had instructed Sarah how to be polite and respectful to them. Together, they dropped on one knee and crossed an arm across their chest.

"Jareth, King of Goblins, Keeper of the Realms and Lord of the Labyrinth. Sarah, Labyrinth Champion from the North American Continent of the Aboveground. Both of you please rise."

They did as they were told. Both had their hands respectfully clasped in front them.

"Lady Sarah, why are you here?" An elf asked.

Sarah inclined her head. They already knew why she was there but they needed to hear her reasons straight from her mouth. "I wish to seek immortality."

"Why?"

"I do not seek this because I fear death. I seek this because I wish to rule by King Jareth as his equal."

"Hmm." The elf gave her a sideways look. "An equal? We know you've sought the permission for the crown matrimonial. What would you do with that power?"

"I do not seek power for the sake of it." Sarah replied. "I would use it to benefit others as I have done right now. I seek to live out the rest of my life with the king. I have used my Aboveground knowledge combined with magic to bring forth technology that could better lives here. And someday, maybe I could even extend it to the Above if humans could find it in them to not hunt us down."

"A noble sentiment." A sorceress said. "You do not just seek immortality though, but to be queen. You understand that because of this, you need to go through a much more difficult trial, yes?"

Sarah gave a nod. "Yes, Elder. I know that I am to have King Jareth complete the trial with me."

"Yes." A fae said. "You will need to prove your compatibility. He is a keeper of two realms, one who takes unwanted human children. You need to prove that your wit, magic, and endurance is strong enough to rule as a leader on your own. You have already shown quite a bit of these qualities, no doubt." She gave Sarah a small smile.

Sarah bowed a little. "Thank you, Elder."

"And you, King Jareth." A fairy asked him. "Have you set up precautions to the kingdom during the times of your trial?"

"Yes, Your Honor." He bowed. "I am ready."

"Then here is your assignment. You have 13 hours to complete your task. You will retrieve a key to immortality, a spell to open the vault. You must take it from the draugar and kill them all."

"What?" Jareth stepped forward in confusion and anger. "Draugar do not exist! And you told me that we would not be in danger!"

"Quiet down, Goblin King." Another fae reprimanded him. "We said you would not be harmed, but only if you do as we say. May I continue?"

Jareth grumbled and pulled back.

The Druid gave a quizzical look at Sarah. "Do you have a question, my lady?"

Sarah wasn't sure if she should speak out before as Jareth was losing his temper. But now the Druid was asking her a direct question. She inclined her head. "Yes, your honor. I do have a question. What are the draguar?"

"They are the undead. Malevolent creatures that somehow are able to come back in a dark way, living corpses. They are selfish and do not want to move on. Your job is to eliminate them for they have come back to hurt and haunt us all."

"How?" Jareth demanded. "If this is a real threat, why the hell are you making this an assignment instead of sending an actual magical army to kill them?"

"We have a reason for everything that we do, and they will not harm the greater population. And whatever happens to you, we will not let you be harmed to the point of no return. You will recover. We can attest to that." An elder reassured them.

"Do you or do you not take this challenge?" The Druid asked.

Jareth wanted to yell no, that this was ridiculous but Sarah put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the heat in her eyes, her mouth set in determination.

"Might the king and I have a moment to chat privately?" She asked.

The council nodded. "We convene in half an hour."

Jareth was about to tear his hair out. He wasn't sure all that was happening.

"I'm sorry." He told her. "I don't want you hurt-"

"Shh." Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck. "Just hold me for a moment."

Jareth wasn't one to refuse her affections. His arms came to hold her close to him. He breathed in her sweet scent and pressed his lips to her neck. His hands gripped her tighter and he felt her kiss the tip of his ear. Somehow, she always brought peace into his tormenting heart.

After a few minutes, Sarah pulled back and held his hands. "Jareth, do you trust them?"

Jareth shrugged. "They never do anything without reason, that's for sure. And they don't lie. I just don't understand what's going on. The Draugar are extinct or should have been. Why are we chosen to fight them?"

"Because they have the key?" Sarah reasoned. "I assume as they're the undead, they can't use it. Maybe that's why they haven't been eliminated. What do you know about them?"

"Not too much, I'm afraid." He blew a loose strand of hair out of his eye. "I know that they can be very powerful and turn us into one of them. If they are obsessed with something though, they won't hurt anyone. To kill them takes a lot of magic."

"They said we will be fine." She hugged him close. "I won't do this if you're unsure but I'm willing to risk it. To be by your side, to rule as your queen for however long that is."

Jareth grabbed her and kissed her fervently. He felt Sarah stumble a bit from being caught off guard with such a forceful kiss so he held her tightly. Every movement of their lips was deliberate and pushed some meaning into it.

They pulled away and Jareth loved her flushed face.

"Oh Sarah." He bushed her hair from her face. "I love you. And I will do this with you."

"My fiancé." Sarah held him close to her. There was a sudden need to be close to him, to be as intimate as she could. Not in a sexual way, but in a spiritual way. When she hugged him, it was like all the hardships and tension left her body. She felt like she could do anything and not filled with anxiety.

Sarah reached in her shirt and pulled a necklace out. There in the middle was her engagement ring.

Jareth traced the necklace down to the ring with his finger and Sarah gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I had to wear it. To keep it with me. It's impractical but I just had to."

"I know." Jareth felt delighted at that. "We're getting married Sarah. Married!"

They shared another kiss before going back to the council.

"So what have you two decided?" The elf asked them.

Jareth and Sarah held hands, fingers intertwined. Jareth looked to his bride to be to let her take control. Sarah stepped forward. "We will take the challenge. But know this, we are doing this out of trust. Should anything happen to us, or to the people outside of winning or losing the trial, we will hold you accountable."

"I second that." Jareth stepped next to her. "For no matter the outcome, I will still be the king of goblins."

They did trust the council, but the ever practical Sarah knew that one shouldn't just trust their gut all the time. Precautions should be taken. There were only a few times when faith alone should be exercised and this was not one of those situations.

To their surprise, the Druid, the one who had reprimanded Jareth most of the time, smiled. "You have our word. Spoken like a true queen, lady Sarah."

There was no malice in his eyes. Only amusement and, pride?

"This is what you will do." The sorceress walked down and conjured two small vials. "You will be transported to the Ancient Woods via these vials. Drink together and we will use our magic to send you both there. You will retrieve the key from the draugar"

She handed them the identical vials. "Be warned. You will encounter creatures of old there."

"Hence the name Ancient Woods, I assume." Jareth inspected the small vial. It was full of some yellow liquid that looked like glitter in honey. How could something so happy send them to a place that sounded so dark?

"Always with snark, this one." The elf chuckled at Jareth. "Yes. There are creatures and obstacles before you. Find the benevolent ones and they will guide you. You must place trust in each other, no matter what. Even if you start to feel evil, even if you start to feel hate-"

"Not possible." Jareth said cockily. "I trust Sarah with my life."

"That remains to be seen, goblin king." A fae folded his arms and gave him a warning look. "You will be tested greatly in this trial. Do not let arrogance cloud your being. It is one of the reasons that very woman next to you beat your Labyrinth."

Jareth shrank back in shame. His vainness and his ego had been hit. He felt so awkward, he wasn't even responding to Sarah trying to hold his hand again.

"Grasp each other's forearms with your right hands." They instructed.

They did as told. Sarah pulled him a little closer, nudging him to look into her eyes. When he did, she smiled at him.

Jareth smiled back. It was a small thing, but her face said " _I love you and you are my everything_."

"On the count of three. One, two, three!"

They downed the swirling liquid. For a moment, they felt nothing. The chanting of the spell was going on in the back and they were still staring into each other's eyes.

Then, Sarah started to feel lightheaded. She grasped on Jareth's arm a little tighter. The king pulled her close and they collapsed, blackness and the room spinning about them.

* * *

Jareth came to first. His first thought was Sarah and he felt around until his hand found hers. He groaned at the feeling of stiffness as he tried to sit up, popping his back.

It was bright and beautiful. A lovely pond with fish were near him. Lilly pads and lotus flowers bloomed in all sorts of beautiful pastel colors. He would've loved to explore but they were on a time limit.

And speaking of time, he found a pocket watch around his neck with 13 hours on it and one on Sarah too.

"Well shit." He groaned. It seemed that they had been laying there for half an hour already!

"Sarah." He shook her, trying to wake her. He really hated waking her but this had to be done. "My sweetheart? You have to get up."

Sarah groaned. Her eyes fluttered opened. "Ow. I feel stiff."

"Here, let me." Jareth put his hand on her back and whispered a spell. Except, nothing came out.

"What the hell?" He tried to conjure a crystal but nothing happened. "My magic is gone!"

"What?" Sarah tried to do magic, but strangely hers was fine. That wasn't much of a comfort though. She was an amazing magician for a human, but Jareth was much more skilled than she with centuries of experience and him being immortal meant he could channel energy for magic outside of himself.

"We'll have to be careful then." He grumbled. "Don't overtax yourself, alright?"

Sarah put her hands to the side and let out a frustrated breath. "I won't. Oh, I have a pocket watch."

"As do I." Jareth showed her. "Come, we must hurry. Who knows what this place holds."

They intertwined their fingers. Holding hands or having some form of contact was something of a second nature for them both.

Jareth's fingers twitched in agony at not being able to feel the magical current in his body. He felt useless and worried. They had no idea what would happen here and Sarah being the one with magic made them that much more vulnerable.

Sarah stuck a few more bobby pins in her hair to keep it in place. "You know, this place reminds me of a small garden we visited in Tokyo."

"Ah, the one where you went with your family and where Toby nearly fell in the pool?" Jareth smirked.

"Yes that one!" Sarah laughed. "Funny, even the architecture is similar."

She vaguely pointed out the brilliance of the place, explaining how the seemingly thin structures could be so strong that they would stay even after earthquakes.

They walked in front of two stone lions. They were a fierce looking pair, not at all like real lions. Their eyes and teeth were like dragons and one of them had a mane that was sharp and spiked, the other didn't have a mane at all. Their eyebrows seemed to be made of the waves of the ocean themselves. Sarah found something fascinating yet odd about them. "And look! Wait, do you see this?"

She touched a symbol on one of the lions. "It's a symbol of yin and yang!"

Jareth, with his sharper eyes, saw movement before she did. The king grabbed his fiancée back and stood protectively in front of her.

The stone lions came to life and roared at them with such force that they both were shot backwards. Jareth reached into their bags and grabbed his sword, throwing another to Sarah.

Sarah quickly got back up on her feet and stood in a fighting stance with Jareth. At least when she ran his labyrinth, she was never scared for her life. Except the cleaners of course.

The lions looked terrifying to say the least. Smoke came from their nostrils and they both leapt from the pillar they were standing upon. Both circled the goblin king and the champion.

"Stay back!" Jareth ordered. "Don't come any closer!"

One of the lions let out a grunt of amusement. "You don't scare us, goblin king." It was a low and deep voice, but almost feminine sounding. Sarah recognized it as a female lion, without a mane like her companion.

"But you make us curious." The male lion said. "We do not want to hurt you or your champion."

"Why are you in our garden?" The female asked.

"We have a mission." Sarah replied. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

She and Jareth were back to back now, swords still at fighting position.

"A mission?" The male hummed. "It is fitting that you should visit us here first."

"And why is that?" Jareth kept his sword up.

"Because we are the guardian lions." The female said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sarah realized where she recognized them from now. She tugged on Jareth's hand. "Love? These guardian lions. They're everywhere on Buddhist temples and on ancient imperial palaces."

"What do you mean?" Jareth spared a millisecond to glance at her. "Humans are familiar with them?"

"Indeed." The male lion stepped in front of Jareth. They were no longer circling the couple. "Most of them in eastern civilizations. Haven't you noticed in your job in taking wished away children?"

Jareth thought about it. He supposed that he had seen these stone lions before. It made sense then how Sarah knew of them but not him.

"Your mission is to find the key of immortality and take it from the draugar, isn't it?"

"How do you know?" Sarah demanded. She still didn't trust them even if they were supposed to be benevolent beings. She learned enough now that not everything was as it seems.

The female stood in front of Sarah and sat. "We have our ways. The path there is fairly straight forward. You'll walk out of our doors and keep on going. Beware of any creatures in your path."

"And you'll have to fully rely on each other." The male emphasized. "Your warnings, lord and lady. Goblin king, if you are not careful, your arrogance will be your down fall. And Labyrinth Champion, your insecurities will be yours."

"Never waver in your trust and steadfast devotions for each other, no matter what happens. Are we clear?"

Sarah didn't like how they were warned to be careful and to trust. What kind of test would this be? What would happen to them? The more warnings she got, the less confident she was at being able to complete her trial.

On the other hand, Jareth was beyond pissed. He already knew these things and just wanted to get on with it without being harassed for once!

"Yes yes I'm aware." Jareth rolled his eyes. "Anything else?"

"Please excuse us." Sarah lowered Jareth's sword down. "Might the king and I have a moment to speak?"

The lions looked at each other with a grin. "Sure, my lady."

Sarah grabbed Jareth's wrist and walked him over to a secluded area. She made a face at him to put his sword away.

"What?" Jareth asked. His eyebrows were riding up higher on his face "We have a time limit."

"I know." Sarah folded her arms. "And you, my dear, have a temper."

"I DO NOT!" He yelled.

It was now Sarah's turn to raise her eyebrows.

"Oh fine." Jareth conceded. "I suppose you'll tell me I'm arrogant too."

Sarah looked to the side for a moment before putting both of her hands on his cheeks.

Funny, prior to dating, every touch made them both shiver and their hearts pounded loudly in their chests. But now, that simple touch made Jareth's heart slow down. It made him feel warm. It made him feel grounded.

"You overestimate yourself." Sarah chose her words carefully. "And underestimate the environment. Please don't let things anger you, especially without your magic. Maybe that's why it's gone, to teach you humility. You already are humble in many ways, but just like me, we have a ways to go."

"You were arrogant when you ran my labyrinth. What made you change?" Jareth moved his face so he could place a soft kiss on her palm.

"You." Sarah ran her fingers in his hair. "You were powerful and scary. I was a scared but arrogant kid who thought everything was a piece of cake. I am confident now about many things but when it comes to myself, my inner self and being capable of things, not so much. Maybe that's why we fit so well together. It's because we balance each other out."

Jareth's soul filled with something sweet when he saw the adoration in her eyes. This is what love was, to accept someone and all their imperfections but encourage them to be better. All while feeling adoration for them.

"I agree." He kissed each of her fingers, time be damned. "I'll try to keep myself I check."

"And, maybe these guys aren't out to hurt us." Sarah reasoned. "Just hear them out. Innocent until proven guilty."

They approached the lions once more.

"We will take your advices and warnings, thank you." Jareth said respectfully. "What else should we know?"

"I see that your lady is a good influence on you." The female said. "Do not get separated. It could mean death for the both of you. You are strong together and weak when apart in this place. Outside of this sanctuary, the Ancient Woods are a place of malice and dark feelings that could warp your minds."

Sarah and Jareth gave each other an unnerved look. Death? But they were promised to be safe by the council. Who to trust?

Maybe these lions were right after all. She could only trust Jareth and herself to survive this ordeal.

Sarah turned to them and bowed. "Thank you for all your help."

They walked out of the doors. Both secured their swords on their hips. As Jareth couldn't use magic, Sarah prepared some inactivated fire balls for him to put in his bag so he could use them.

It didn't seem so bad at first. They trekked in silence down a stone path. But the farther they went, the darker things became. They were walking straight into the woods and Sarah started to use flashlights.

"You really couldn't have gotten us the hand held ones?" Jareth slipped a helmet with a flashlight on.

"This is more practical." Sarah shrugged. "Both hands are free."

"It ruins my hair." The king tried to fluff his crazy hair out but it didn't work as well as he wanted. He made a pouty face at his fiancée.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You're so vain sometimes, glitter boy. Just deal with it." She teased him.

Jareth mumbled some more about how fashion was important but he went along with her anyway.

The trees started to become darker and more sinister. Jareth shivered from feeling a bit cold. Sarah's stomach growled a bit and they had a bite of food from her backpack.

"You were smart to bring this." Jareth said in between bites. "Pass me the water?"

Sarah handed him her water bottle. "I thought about how hungry I was when I ran the labyrinth. And of course, the only thing I ate sent me to a hallucination."

Jareth cringed at the memory of her eating the peach. "That wasn't one of the better things I did to you, was it?"

Sarah scooter closer and wiped some crumbs off the side of his mouth and laughed. "Nah. I mean, if you wanted a dance, you really didn't have to trick me. Just be less of an ass and ask me."

Jareth brightened a little. "I can't wait to dance with you at our engagement party and our two weddings."

"Damn that's a lot of parties." Sarah kissed the side of his lip. "But if it's with you, I'm perfectly happy. I'm looking forward to the random dances in the kitchen or in the gardens. Just the two of us."

"I like that too." He looked at her softly. If they weren't on a time constraint, he'd dance with her right there. Even with the creepy dead trees.

As they kept walking, they weren't sure when the trees turned to, mirrors?

"Jareth? What's going on?" Sarah saw her reflections all around her. Turning around, she realized Jareth wasn't next to her. She turned down the power of her headlamp and tried to shake out this feeling of impending doom. She tried to conjure a step stool to look over the mirrors but to her dismay, they seemed to be getting taller and taller, blocking her view.

Jareth wasn't sure when the hell he and Sarah separated. He drew out his sword and growled at the magic surrounding him. Whatever this place was, it was sinister. The hairs in the back of neck stood straight up. His eyes were dilated to adjust to the darkness and his teeth were pulled back into a snarl. "Sarah!" He called out.

Sarah thought she heard Jareth, but could it really be him? "Jareth! Where are you!"

Jareth's head snapped. He definitely heard Sarah's voice! "My love, I'm coming for you!"

He made twists and turns but her echo was throwing him off. How could he tell where she really at? He stopped in a dead end and cursed. To his horror, he saw his reflection move on its own.

He picked his sword up and let the tip touch the looking glass. "What kind of magic is this?"

The reflection grinned at him. It was exactly Jareth and yet it wasn't. Its eyes glimmered with red like evil and his face was as pale as snow. The teeth had long fangs.

"You pathetic excuse for a king." The reflection conjured a crystal and rolled it around. "You think you're so amazing, aren't you? But look at you. A weakling who couldn't even win against a fifteen year old girl."

"Stop it!" Jareth tried to run but the reflection kept following him. He felt his old fears and mistakes start to creep up on him again.

"And you can't protect her, even now!" The reflection laughed evilly. "You think you're so powerful, so talented. It took you six years to get her to admit her feelings for you. And four years later, you still aren't married!"

"SHUT UP!" Jareth wanted to slice his sword at the mirror but something in him told him not to. It was as if something disastrous would happen.

"You still have that temper! Your cruelty to which she cannot even erase!" His reflection laughed gleefully. "Old habits die hard! She puts up with you now but will she still a hundred years from now? Hmm? Will she love you without the magic you had in you?"

Jareth snarled at it.

Sarah felt like she was going insane. All around her, multiple reflections of herself were whispering at her and honestly were just freaking her out. She tried to turn off her light but the whispering didn't stop. She kept running blindly and yelling Jareth's name out until she tripped.

"Oh you poor thing." A reflection of her crooned. "So weak, so helpless. Really, why should the goblin king want you?"

"GO THE HELL AWAY!" Sarah screamed at it.

Her reflection laughed. "My dear, you know you would never be good enough for him."

Sarah hated the reflection. It was vision of herself but in a darker, crueler, and sexier version. Her reflection wore a tight dresss to cover her curves, breasts nearly spilling out of it and long legs that sinfully escaped through. Her lips were plump and red. Everything about this reflection's body was perfect.

She tried to fight off her insecurities. "That's not true. He loves me."

"And he loved his exes too." Her reflection crooned and swayed her hips.

Sarah cringed at the thought of his exes. "But not like me. Never like me. There's no one he's ever loved like me. For me and for me alone, he laid his love between the stars. If he didn't then he wouldn't want me to be his queen. Leave me alone!"

"You say that, but are you sure this isn't his ploy to look stronger?" She applied more red lipstick to herself. "To play hard to get? He could still have mistresses. Oh those other women wouldn't have to worry about the responsibilities of being queen but they would still be able to enjoy his sexual prowess and have children with him if they so desire. All that power and accumulating wealth-"

"You're trying to make me doubt him." Sarah covered her ears. "He loves ME."

"And what if he gets bored one day? Eternity is a long time, you know."

That was the last straw. It was something she was worried about but to hear it aloud made her angry. She knew that something in her told her to not break the mirror but she had to. She shouldn't have done it. She was not in the labyrinth, not in the peach dream where she had to break from an illusion.

Using her sword, she slashed at the mirrors.

* * *

Jareth felt himself falling through a strange dimension. Nothing made sense. Time wasn't even real anymore. Physics was different and even magic couldn't explain anything.

He felt his body land with a thud. Groaning, he looked up to see that he was once again on the stone road. Scanning around, he saw Sarah inch closer to him then looming over his face.

"Took you long enough." She huffed. "Get your lazy ass up and let's go."

Jareth looked at his watch and saw that they had nine hours and 23 minutes left.

How ironic.

He snapped it shut and looked at Sarah quizzically. She was acting so strangely. Normally she'd fuss over him and check to see if he was hurt. "Sarah? Love?"

"We don't have time, okay?" She snapped at him. "Let's get this shit done and over with. You've been lazy enough."

Now Jareth was annoyed. He grabbed her wrist. "Sarah. I love you but I don't tolerate this kind of talk towards me by anyone. You know this. You don't even want to know or ask what happened?"

Sarah turned to him and Jareth nearly jumped back in shock. All around her eyes were angry green marks. It made her look sinister.

She yanked her wrist away from him. "Don't! Now are we going to do this or not?!"

She stomped away but not before Jareth grabbed her and pinned her to a tree. He tried to be as gentle as he could but it wasn't easy when she was fighting him.

"Could you hold still?" He begged. "Let me check over you to see if you're alright."

Sarah didn't argue with him. She just huffed and complained while he checked her over. Finding her hand, he noticed that a piece of glass was lodged into her palm.

"Here, let me take care of you." He said with his most soothing voice. He took his first aid kid and grabbed a few bandages. He grabbed the piece of glass with his bare fingers and cried out in pain.

"You idiot!" Sarah yelled at him. "Why did you grab it with your bare hands?"

"I DON'T KNOW, OKAY?" He screamed at her. "Stop yelling at me for one measly second as I'm trying to take of you, woman!"

He finished bandaging her up, feeling upset that she wasn't sweet to him and was acting strangely. She didn't even thank him.

"Why are you giving me that look?" Sarah asked tersely.

"Your eyes are green." Jareth said. "And it's so weird."

Sarah stomped away from him and back into the road. "You always said my eyes were beautifully green! What's changed?!"

"Not your natural eye color." He started to feel strange, a little warm and much more angry. "You know what? Never mind!"

He grudgingly walked ahead of her, feeling angry at how generous he had been with her and how exhausted he was from living up to her expectations.

Little did he know that the wound from the piece of glass was slowly poisoning his heart and marking his eyes as green. Just as it did Sarah.

* * *

More hours passed by. Sarah checked to see that they had seven hours left.

Honestly, she couldn't quite pin point why she felt the need to argue with Jareth. But it felt so good. All her anger, all her insecurities were thrown at him. Did she feel guilty? Of course. But having Jareth yell at her back egged her on even more. If he insisted on being such a stupid asshead, she was going to fight back.

After a while, she had to pee.

"Jareth?" She called out. "We should take a rest stop. I have to go."

"Oh so NOW you want to stop." He glared at her. "I asked an hour ago and you said no. Well? Why the hell are you staring at me? Just go."

Sarah practically tore her bag off and threw it at him. Lucky for Jareth, he caught it before it hit his face.

"Fine, you dick." She snarled. "Be back here in five minutes."

"Don't tell me what to do." He trekked off to go do his business away from her.

After Sarah was done, she rebraided her hair to make it more practical. She was determined to make it better than how Jareth made it too.

Even in her deep annoyance for him and great dislike, she still wanted to please him. To make him see her as beautiful. She huffed and puffed, trying to make her hair look as flawless as she could. Even using magic needlessly to make it look nice.

She was so engrossed in trying to do her hair that she didn't notice the movement in the swamp.

Jareth checked his watch. 15 minutes had passed.

"Five minutes, bah!" He yelled. "What is taking that damned woman so long?"

He was answered by a yell. Grabbing everything, he ran toward Sarah's yelling.

All he could think about was how hurt she may be and how he couldn't let her die. He also couldn't help but think how useless he was without magic.

He found the source of the voice and gasped at what he saw.

A grotesque looking water spirit was pulling something under the swamp. It had eyes the size of his hands, a murky color for its skin, and thin yet strong tentacles to pull someone over. And he could see that the boots that were disappearing were Sarah's.

Jareth had heard of these bunyips in myths before but never thought that bunyips were actually real. He rolled his wrists automatically then swore when he remembered that he couldn't do magic.

He didn't want to run in and grab Sarah. If he did, he may be risked getting pulled in too. Digging into his backpack, he found a match box.

Lighting a match on fire, the king threw it onto the evil creature. It screeched and let go of one tentacle over Sarah and tried to go after him.

Jareth may be without magic but he was still wicked fast. Using his quick reflexes, he climbed on top of the nearby tree and snapped some branches off at the bunyip to distract it away from Sarah. To his dismay, Sarah still wasn't moving.

The bunyip was climbing up the tree with at a terrifying speed. Jareth jumped back down to the ground and went for Sarah. He prayed that she wasn't dead for she was face down in the gross water.

The bunyip came back to its territory to attack its new prey. Jareth wasn't having it. He found some of Sarah's premade fireball crystals and threw them at the offending creature with precise aim. It screamed and shirked back each time.

" _You can't win, goblin king_." A voice entered his mind. " _You are so overly confident but you don't deserve this girl_."

"Die already, damn it!" Jareth chucked another one at it but all it did was distract it. The king threw his last one at it and made a last dash to Sarah, grabbing her and flinging her over his shoulder and running for his life.

" _Surrender, king of goblins!_ "

The bunyip was still after them. Winded, Jareth set Sarah down as quickly as he could and grabbed his sword and swung at it.

His hit was true for the thing screeched and the blood started to leak out of it. He yanked his sword back and thrust at it again with all his might.

The bunyip fell back and twitched a bit before dying.

Jareth wiped his sword clean on the grass before running back to his Sarah.

"Sarah!" He crouched down next to her and felt around for a pulse. He felt angry, angry that she had taken so long and gotten caught by that stupid thing!

She started to cough a bit to his relief. He turned her to her side and it was lucky that she did for she threw up swamp water.

"I-ugh. Jareth?" She sputtered.

"You IDIOT!" He yelled at her. "You could've died. God, why didn't you use your magic to kill it?" The angry green marks on his eyes were getting darker and angrier by the moment.

He threw her boots to the side. "GOD why are you so careless?"

Sarah shoved him away from her. "Screw you, Jareth! You know what, maybe you should've left me to die!"

"Well I can't do that." He mocked. "God, you can't do anything yourself can't you?"

"YOU SHIT HEAD!" Sarah shrugged him off her. "And why are you trying to take my clothes off? You pervert."

Jareth threw his hands up in the air. "I'm trying to get you off these wet clothes so you don't die of hypothermia. You think I was trying have sex with you while you're stinking from a swamp that rivals my bog? I can't do anything right, can't I?"

"Maybe you should tell me before you start to strip me, damn it." Sarah yelled back at him. "Why do you have to treat me like I'm so infirm?"

"Maybe if you took care of yourself, we wouldn't be in this situation." He growled. "You think you're so talented aren't you?"

"I must be. How else would I have beaten your labyrinth, huh?"

Sarah knew she struck a nerve with him but she didn't care. He had insulted her first and hurt her feelings and she wasn't going to apologize. She grabbed the extra set of clothing and started to take off her wet ones. "Turn around."

Jareth did just that. He could feel her anger towards him and it was really evident when she refused to let him see her naked. Whenever she was annoyed with him, he wouldn't be allowed to see her without clothes on (like if she was in the middle of a shower). His eyes stared forward in anger. Why did she have to be so freaking stupid?

He folded his arms and bit his bottom lip, his eyes staring ahead in annoyance. Really, he was too generous to her sometimes.

He closed his eyes momentarily then opened them again.

A beautiful woman was standing in the trees. She had golden curls and brown eyes. But the most obvious thing about her was that she was totally naked.

She crooked her finger and lowered her eyelids, beckoning for him to come to her.

Jareth was captivated under her spell. All thoughts of Sarah, the mission, really anything else fled his mind. A part of him said that this wasn't truly what he desired, but he was moving to her like a nail to a magnet. His legs moved on their own accord and his eyes glazed over in hypnosis.

Sarah finished emptying her boots of the water and used a little magic to dry them. She turned around to tell Jareth to go but he was nowhere to be found.

"Jareth?" She called annoyedly. Honestly what the hell was wrong with him? Just because he was angry doesn't mean that he had to leave her. She wasn't even taking that long.

She got up and froze at seeing a flash of blond hair disappear into the woods.

"Oh great." She trudged after him.

Jareth couldn't tear his eyes of this woman. She eventually turned to him and purred. "Jareth..."

Something in his mind began to twitch in recognition. Her voice, it was so familiar...

"Have you forgotten about me?" She cooed. She got closer and closer to him, her body only a hair's length away from his.

His brain flashed images of a woman he had known long ago. A beautiful woman he once had a relationship with.

"Clarissa?" He tilted his head.

Something felt creepy and wrong. Something felt like this shouldn't be the woman he was thinking of. So why was his body reacting the way that it was?

"Run away with me." She touched his bare chest. "You said once that if we were both just an ordinary boy and an ordinary girl, we would have a happy life."

Jareth reached up to touch her face. Then pushed her away.

"No." He shook his head in confusion. "I don't want you. Not anymore."

"But your body begs for me." She ran her hands down his side. "You know it's true. Why choose a human girl when you can have me? Why have someone who has insulted you these last few hours?"

That was a mistake on her part. Jareth's mind snapped to memories of Sarah. Memories of her getting paint on his nose to annoy him. Memories of him putting make up on her for fun. Memories of them seeing Phantom of the Opera together. Memories of her sweet kisses mixed with some more passionate memories...

"Go away!" He yelled. "I want Sar-"

And he found lips upon his.

He kept trying to push her off him but his mouth was responding back eagerly. It was like he couldn't control his face no matter how hard he tried. Her kiss was just so intoxicating... so alluring...

He felt weak. Not the kind of weakness one felt when they were in the heat of passion, but the kind of weakness you felt when you were sick. His eyes began to droop and everything started to darken. He thought maybe he heard his name being faintly called.

Sarah found a pair of footprints from Jareth's boots. She found another pair that clearly were someone else that went with him. They were odd though. Looking at them carefully, she saw that they belonged to someone that was barefoot and with backwards feet.

"God I hate this place." She wiped sweat off her eyes. "Jareth!"

She quickened her pace and held a crystal ball full of electric energy for both light and protection. Her heart pounded in her chest and more sweat was gathering on her forehead.

She reached a clearing and nearly fainted at the sight.

A naked woman was kissing _her_ Jareth. They were both on the ground, her fiancé flat on his back and the offending woman on top. He looked like he struggling between enjoying it and pushing away.

Sarah watched with anger as she realized that the woman was an ex of Jareth's. His last ex, Clarissa, to be exact.

The woman lifted her head up and let out a crackling, evil laughter. Sarah watched with horror as her finger nails turned to claws and the corners of her mouth stretched to behind her hair line. She lifted up her claw and made to cut through Jareth's chest.

"HEY YOU!" Sarah threw her electric crystal ball at it.

The monster screamed and jumped off of Jareth. To Sarah's dismay, the crystal hit a tree.

The monster transformed back into a woman and strutted in front of Sarah. The human girl tried to channel her feelings to concentrate but this thing was too unnerving to her. Plus, she felt winded from that huge amount of energy concentrated into a ball.

"You think he wants you, but I'm proof that he has an eye for anything female." She laughed heartily.

Sarah tried to ignore her and tried to make more crystals but she was so shaky that her aim failed.

"Even now, I appear as a figure of the woman he was with before you! The woman he most likely compared all your interactions with! You know that he almost married her!"

"SHUT UP!" Sarah screamed at her. "Get out of my mind!"

"You pathetic human." She walked closer and closer to Sarah. "You think you can become and immortal. Only a few have taken the test and among them, only a few have won. Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late!"

Sarah supposed that the last lines were supposed to scare her, to make her think of Jareth and how he frightened her. Oh, how wrong this demon lady was. She wasn't going down without a fight.

She didn't back then. And she certainly wasn't going to now.

She formed two crystals and summoned hers and Jareth's sword into her hands and commanded fire to engulf them. The demon lady backed just a little bit.

"You think that scares me, bitch?" Sarah swung her swords. "You have no power over us!"

And with that, she moved with the fluidity of water, the speed of lightning, and the strength of a hurricane to slice off her head.

The demon convulsed and fell backwards. In death, she looked like her demon self instead of the girl she had been pretending to be.

Sarah found Jareth who was slowly getting up. Now it was her turn for the angry green marks from the mirror spell to cloud her eyes.

"I HATE YOU!" She screamed at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He spat out the kiss the demon had given him. "I was hypnotized!"

"And it turned into an Clarissa instead of me!" Sarah jabbed a finger towards the demon's carcass.

"You're throwing a hissy fit because a thing that tried to kill me turned into an _ex_ instead of you? Are you for real?!"

"It means that you were thinking about her." Sarah huffed at him. "You were tempted by her image instead of me. You don't want me!"

"HOW DARE YOU?" Jareth roared. The green marks are now burning in his eyes. "You think I would've gone through all that pain, all that trouble for ten years and not love you?"

"Then why would that, that THING show up?" Sarah demanded.

"Hell if I know!" Jareth threw his hands up in the air. "I don't care about _her_ anymore. I haven't thought about her since before you were born, damn it. Unlike YOU, who claims to have always wanted me but spent her youth on flings with stupid, irritable boys!"

"OH DON'T EVEN! You were engaged with her!" Sarah threw his backpack at him.

Jareth tanked his sword away from her and tucked in on his waist. "Yes, because I felt pressured to marry! I felt pressured to and she was a good woman who got along well with me."

"You admitted to me that she was good in bed." Sarah near sobbed.

"You asked me one day and was I supposed to lie?" He tried to excuse himself. "And furthermore, it was during a time when you were dating that one douche bag your freshman year of college!"

"But it was true-"

"THEN WHY DOES IT MATTER?" He roared again. "Your exes were good too! I figured, hey, if I was going to be forced to marry someone, it might as well have been a girlfriend I cared about. But SHE was pressured to not marry ME because of the goblins-"

"Then she cheated on you." Sarah mumbled. "I've seen her. She regrets what's happened between you."

"Because she married a man who doesn't love her." Jareth wanted to cry. Why didn't Sarah understand? "Maybe if circumstances were different, I would be married to her."

"And you want to, don't you?" Sarah tried to take her necklace off, the one with her engagement ring on it but he stopped her.

The marks around Jareth's eyes started to fade a bit as his head cleared slightly. "Not after knowing you." He said. "I love you. And you know what? I never, NEVER have let anyone else wear my mother's jewelry. I let you wear it when we were only friends because my heart would belong with you forever. I vowed to be celibate and single for the rest of my life but I broke that oath the moment I met you. For if you wanted me, if you wanted a chance, I would take it with you. And you alone!"

Sarah softened a bit. The marks around her eyes also faded a little. She knew all of this was true. Every word.

He threw his sword into the dirt and put a finger between his and her face. Sarah didn't back down and glared at him back.

The anger returned to Jareth and his mind was clouded again. "Sarah, I move the stars for no one. But for you, I'd place the sky within your eyes and the moon within your heart. And it seems that it doesn't matter. No matter what I do, you don't trust me!"

"Maybe _you_ don't trust _me_." Sarah trudged forward. "I don't accuse you of anything like cheating, but you did with my exes! I only accuse you now when a vision of Clarissa appeared!"

"Blasted woman." He caught up with her. "Fine. Let's just finish this stupid mission."

"Good. Don't talk to me."

By the time they got back to the road, they had five hours left to reach the draugar and to complete their mission. They were both exhausted but Sarah much more so as she was human.

Silently, they both made sure to protect each other. To always be on guard first. Full of an evil spell they may be, but love always wins. Their anger clouded their vision but there was no doubt that even in their anger, they would save the other person before themselves. They didn't so much as say this though. Both avoided even looking at the other as much as possible.

Checking the time again, they had three hours left. As Jareth once said to Sarah: "time is short."

Jareth's sensitive ears picked up a strange sound. It was akin to slithering and water coming out of a hose. He put his hand on Sarah's wrist and pulled her close to him.

Sarah wasn't having it. She hated being grabbed by the wrist and this was no exception. She was about to lecture him when she saw the danger in his eyes.

Understanding his look, she brought both her hands up to a fighting position. Blue swirls of energy threatened to fall from her finger tips and a spell on the tip of her tongue. She felt Jareth reach for her sword so he could use two of them as she could use magic.

The ground rumbled under them. The birds flew away, and the trees looked even more dead than before.

Oh boy.

The king and his champion were thrown back as the ground exploded under them. A large creature appeared and roared at them.

If the bunyip and the demon-lady seemed scary, this creature was above and beyond that. Born of nightmares, it was a snake with the width of at least two men side by side. It was a dark and scary color that moved too fast for them.

But the scariest part was its face. It looked like a large elephant with yellow eyes but when it opened its mouth, it still looked very snake like with its teeth crazy sharp and dark purple tusks protruding out. It let out a roar that was a mix between an elephant's roar and a snake's hiss.

Sarah froze. She couldn't move in her terror. The muscles in her body tightened and started to convulse. The ball of energy in her hand was spasming like crazy. Snakes had always made her uneasy but this thing made her phobia increase exponentially. Whenever she saw a snake, she would almost start to cry from it.

Lucky for them, Jareth was not afraid of snakes. His eyes scanned the area, and once done, he reached out to grab Sarah by the waist and ran as fast as he could.

He eventually twisted her body in his arms so she was over his shoulder. His mind was on over drive. His nerves were in fire. His eardrums were about to burst and his legs gave it all as he ran at the speed of The Flash, barely outrunning the creature.

He made these twists and turns to ensure that the serpent would get itself stuck for a bit. To his relief, it worked! He heard the strange roar from it as it tried to untangle itself in agony.

But Jareth was wearing out quickly. He did a few backflips here and there. Eyes scanning even more, he saw a place where he could possibly hide with Sarah.

They tucked underneath a log, a mile or so in front of the snake. Jareth took a deep breath. The serpent would be free soon and it would be angrier than it was before.

Sarah tried to calm down her nerves. The evil spell in her tried to tell her to yell at Jareth for some reason. Her blood pulsed with fire and her heart rate felt like a bomb. This wasn't the time to be fighting but to work together to get rid of the monster.

Lifting her hands up, Sarah tapped on Jareth's shoulder to communicate to him using sign language. She had learned it in high school and Jareth was eager to learn as well for this seemed useful for them to communicate together with without anyone eavesdropping. "What spell do you think would work?" She asked him.

Jareth felt the evil in him deepen its hold. He felt a need to lash out at her and tell her how useless she was for not being able to come up with a good spell. But, for some reason, when he looked at her all her could see was someone he loved. No, he couldn't berate her now.

"Maybe a paralyzing spell?" He signed back to her. "Those are quite strong though."

"Will it give you enough time to kill it?" Sarah asked. "Your aim is superior to mine."

"I'm not sure if the swords are powerful enough to weaken the monster." His hands were shaky as he heard the serpent come closer. "But I don't want you to exert yourself-"

Sarah put her hands over his to stop his signing. Jareth was confused until he felt her kissing his knuckles briefly.

That simple gesture brought a connection between them that had been gone for some hours. Jareth took her face and gave her a silent kiss on her lips. It very well may be their last. Little did they know that the angry green marks around their eyes were nearly gone.

Sarah felt invigorated. If she was to die now, she would die valiantly with Jareth. "I will do what needs to be done." She moved her hands with certainty. "Give me your swords and I will put in a current through them."

"Do a weaker current. Paralyzing it is more important." Jareth quickly signed. "And when you are done, stay where you are so I can grab you and run."

Sarah took the swords from Jareth and prepared them. Just in time.

Both shook with fear at hearing the creature try to find them. It was right above them, they could tell. Beads of sweat and tendrils of hair stuck to their necks and faces. Darkness started to engulf them through the shadow of the monster along with dread. The air seemed to cool about ten degrees and so did their chances of surviving.

In the dark, Sarah formed Jareth's hand to engulf hers. She signed to him "I love you."

Jareth took her hands and signed back "I love you too." And he kissed her forehead. This woman, right here. She would be his forever.

3...2...1...

Sarah leapt out of her hiding spot and gave a war cry. Surprising the creature for one second, she recited the spell to paralyze it.

Just before its head engulfed Sarah, it froze in midair. The eyes and the large teeth looked even more terrifying when paused like that. Everything about it just reeked with evil and with something so unnatural.

Jareth jumped out of his spot. He twirled around to get as much momentum as he could. Fire seemed to light up his hair. Frustration and determination fueled him and he sliced through the monster in three swift strokes.

Sarah collapsed from holding the paralyzing spell and powering the swords. The monster let out a hiss as it twitched in agony for a few moments then tumbled down to where she was.

"NO!" Jareth zoomed as fast as he could, but not fast enough. He managed to get Sarah out of the way but the damage had been done.

One of the fangs from the serpent had hit his back and the amount of force that hit Sarah's head when she fell was not insignificant. A large gash formed on the back of her neck and she stilled.

Jareth swore out of physical and emotional pain. "Sarah! Speak to me!"

He let out another roar when a wave of pain hit him. The fang not only hit deep, but he could see that it was full of poison.

Neither of them had much time left.

Sarah's eyes fluttered opened and grasped weakly at Jareth's shirt. "Jareth..."

Everything felt like syrup, thick and slow to be processed. She saw the blackness on his back growing from her fang. She tried to put her hand on it to heal him but Jareth stopped her.

"Save your energy." He winced in pain. "Stay with me."

"I don't want to die. I don't want you to die either. I'm sorry I didn't kill the monster." Sarah's tears started to fall from her face. "I love you."

"And I you, Precious." He whispered. "My only regret is you dying too. I'm sorry. In my ambition to make you immortal, you're going to die prematurely. I'm glad I can go with you."

Sarah could barely move her body. It seemed that the fall had paralyzed her from the waist down. She pulled Jareth down with her. "I'm glad I can go with you too. If anything, you deserve to have someone by your side until the end."

She buried her face in his chest and cried. Her tears seeped onto his shirt and his bare skin. "I'm so sorry for how I snapped at you-"

"I did too. Shh." He tilted her face and she could see tears gather in his blue eyes. "You are perfect. Let's not speak of that."

"Hold me, goblin king."

Jareth nuzzled against her neck. His tears formed a little stream down her collar bone and to her chest. His tears were absorbed by her skin.

They looked at each other and saw something remarkable.

The green marks on their eyes had completely faded. The spell from the mirrors were broken.

They were no longer tricked with feelings of unreasonable hate.

Arm around arm. Legs pulled close. Chests touching. Head on shoulders. Jareth and Sarah were embraced so tightly that nothing would pull them apart. They said nothing to each other but they still were connected in nearly every way. Not being able to move and as they laid down dying, they memorized the feel of each other. The sweet scents and every memory they had together filled their souls.

Both tried to be conscious as long as they could. They wanted to hold onto the last thread of life, the last connection they had to the world.

A small flash of fire licked at Sarah's side. Jareth's eyes snapped opened and he tried to clutch her closer to him. "Who is there?" He called out.

Sarah stiffened at Jareth's questioning. Funny, she could feel her legs now...

Something warm touched the back of her head where she was hit then instantly dried. The champion felt her body tingle with energy and she turned to see a bird crying on her.

It was a Phoenix crying healing tears onto them.

It was said that a phoenix would appear to one of bravery, of sacrifice. It would appear in times of trial to restore strength and power to one who did their best.

Seemingly finished with Sarah, it hopped over to Jareth's side and cried tears all over his back. The king let out a powerful grunt.

Sarah saw Jareth's eyes flash with electricity. She felt a current through his fingers as he touched her and a smile curled on his face.

His magic was back.

The Phoenix made a bow at them both before bursting into flames and disappearing.

Though they hadn't eaten in hours or had any rest, Jareth and Sarah felt more alive than they had ever been. The human girl grabbed her love and kissed him with all the passion she could muster. She had truly believed she would die and now she granted another chance.

Jareth possessively kissed her neck and down her collar bone. When all this was done, he would give her all the passion in him. He gave a sharp bite on her neck as a promise for more at another time.

* * *

At two hours, Jareth and Sarah reached a dead end. Only a cave stood in front of them now.

"This must be where the draugar live." Sarah shivered a bit. "I'm not so cool on dealing with zombies."

Jareth smirked to hide his fear. "I'll say. These creatures are some of the most sinister things, if they're like the myths I've heard."

"And how's that?" Sarah asked. "Besides being selfish."

"If they hold to the key to immortality, they won't want to let it go. They have no self reservations, meaning that they won't care if they're hurt. They will keep hurting you until either you're dead or they're dead."

"So ruthless zombies? Great." Sarah massaged her scalp. "How do we kill them?"

"By fire." Jareth said simply. "You ever heard of Viking funerals? Cremation is a common ritual to make sure that no one is left alive to roam the earth to haunt anyone."

"But cremation... that involves burning the bones too." Sarah said. "And that's a ridiculously high temperature."

"Yes." Jareth took out their swords to sharpen them. "That's where I'm at a loss." He gleefully made crystals, now being able to use magic and drawing it from his surroundings to not tax himself.

Sarah hummed for a moment. She paced back and forth and picked up random twigs from the ground. A fire...

"Fire..." Sarah saw dead things all around her. Yes, maybe this would work!

She told Jareth her plan. "So we can go inside, grab the key, then set them on fire. We block the cave and they will burn inside."

They stood in front of the cave, holding hands. No matter what happened, they would go together. They would either win or lose together.

The cave was definitely a stereotypical cave. It was dark, it was wet, weird noises tried to spook them, and it smelled funny.

Lucky for them, Jareth had an amazing sense of sight and sound. They used the headlamps and Jareth made sure to avoid any strange traps that were around. They nearly vomited at the sight of a skeleton and both huddled closer to each other than they had before just because of that.

Sarah felt something evil, something ominous fill her. Not the same way as the spell from the mirror. This didn't make her want to be evil but it made her fearful. Her head started to get a little lighter and the air was getting thinner. Her nose started to run and she struggled to keep up with her fiancé.

Jareth felt Sarah grab his hand tighter. His senses pricked at his skin to identify the discomfort that Sarah was feeling.

Deep in the cave was a pair of bright lights. The king and his lady stood up automatically and drew their swords for protection.

The thing growled. "Who dare comes to our sanctuary?"

"The King of Goblins and his betrothed do." Jareth said fearlessly. "We are here to seek the key to immortality."

"And how do you think you're going to be able to take it from us?"

About ten of them started to circle them both. It was hard to believe that they had been alive at one point. Their greying skins were near falling off their own skeleton. Their noses had a black hole, and their eyes! Oh their eyes were the worst. It had little blue flames. Their teeth were rotting and the smell was atrocious.

"I am not here to take it." Sarah said. "I am here to borrow it. If you dare come at us, beware, we will kill you."

Nothing else was said. They attacked the two lovers. Like a dance, they weaved and tried to strike the monsters that came after them.

Sarah whispered a fire spell but to her dismay, it didn't work. Jareth was also having the same problem. They were fighting more for their lives now than to get anything. One by one, they kept getting hit.

Out of the corner of their eyes, something golden sparkled. Jareth saw that it was a the shape of a key.

The key!

"Sarah!" He yelled. "The key!" He fought around his love and tried to push her to get it. "GRAB IT!"

Sarah didn't need any more encouragement. She swung her sword to push the evil people out of her way and closed her hand around the key.

Right before she touched the key, something unexpected happened.

The drauagar disintegrated before their eyes. Jareth stopped fighting and they had thought that they won.

Until the world around them started to fade.

Instinctively, Sarah ran over to Jareth who was the only one not fading. "What's happening?!"

"I don't know!" Jareth held her close. "The key!"

The key was also fading. Sarah sobbed and tried to hold onto it but it slipped from her very fingers.

"NO!"

* * *

The world around them fell like a video game simulation into complete darkness. A burst of light nearly knocked them back to reveal the council.

"King Jareth of Goblins, Keeper of the Realms and Lord of the Labyrinth. Sarah, Labyrinth Champion from the North American Continent of the Aboveground, you have both failed the trials-"

"What?!" Jareth yelled.

The Elder kept on speaking. "You did not complete it within the 13 hour mark. Your mistakes have prevented you from proving worthy to be immortal. Do not fret, no one has ever completed the trial to become king or queen before and most fail when trying to become immortal."

Sarah felt numb. She and Jareth had plans. They were going to be together for eternity. This couldn't be.

Another Elder spoke up. "Lady Sarah, you are still free to marry him and be his consort but you may not have the crown matrimonial. We wish you both well and to rule with peace and righteousness."

"You won't have to worry about that." Jareth bowed his head. "I will have a replacement. I will give up my immortality."

"Jareth no." Sarah latched onto his arm. "You can't give it up. It's a precious gift and I can't let me be the reason that you're giving up an essential part of who you are."

"ANY last words?" A third Elder spoke.

Sarah bowed her head. "No, Elders. Thank you for this opportunity."

For the next few days or so, Sarah refused to let Jareth give up his immortality. She searched for every way possible to make herself immortal. There had to be another route!

"Sarah! There is no other way!" Jareth told her. "You need to stop!"

"I WILL FIGHT FOR US!" Sarah screamed. Her hair was in a disarray and her body was tired from the lack of sleep and lack of food. "I can't let you die too. There has to be another way."

She flipped open a book and found something. "This spell. Help me translate it."

Jareth took one peak at the spell and tossed the book aside.

"HEY!" Sarah yelled. "What was that for?"

Jareth grabbed her by the shoulders and looked at her with panic. "I won't have you waste your life away trying to find a way to live forever. Please. That spell, my love, you would have to commit a mass murder. I suppose you found the book in the restricted section."

Sarah's eyes widened in shock. "So all those people who had committed mass murders-"

"Many of them were trying to find a way to immortality as well as taking over lands." Jareth sighed. "Do you want to pay that price to live with me?"

Sarah sobbed and fell to the ground. "I had said I would do anything for you, for us. But I couldn't ever do that. I would sacrifice myself but not someone else who isn't able to choose. Oh Jareth, I love you but-"

"No buts." He kissed her temple. "You have made your decision. Let me make mine."

He was right. He was more than right. Sarah accepted the fact that she was going to be mortal and die a human. But strangely, that was alright with Jareth by her side. She still didn't want him to give up his immortality, but he also had the right to make his own decisions.

They continued with wedding plans. Jareth sent in his resignation and chose a new heir. He would remain an immortal for maybe ten more years as he would finish with taking care of his kingdom. Everyone was sad for the loss of their king but as long as he made sure to take care of the kingdom, all would be well.

"Would you give up being king if you couldn't find a good replacement?" Sarah asked him. "I wouldn't want you to."

"Heavens no." Jareth said. "If that was the case, I would make you my consort so that we could ensure that the kingdom would be in good hands. But you are too important to me. Everything will be alright."

Sarah went back to school to get her master's and her PhD. Jareth also decided to go to a university to improve his knowledge and his mind. They lived happily as mortals. Their children would always hear the tale of them, the tale of love but also of responsibility. Sarah used her engineering skills to improve both worlds and Jareth helped her write a book about their story, though it was published as fiction.

On their death beds, they both were content with the life and decisions that they had made. Giving one last kiss, they tried to tell their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that they would be alright. Death, after all, gave meaning to life itself.

* * *

Jareth slowly opened his eyes and saw Sarah next to him. Her eyes fluttered and she sat up straight. For a moment, both wondered if they both had died and gone to heaven for they looked young.

But only for a moment, did they wonder.

Instantly, all 13 Elders appeared by their bedside.

"Congratulations." The druid smiled at them. "You both passed the trials."

"And you may become an immortal, Lady Sarah. You are the first mortal to become immortal to be queen and to hold the crown matrimonial."

They all bowed in respect to the king and his lady.

Jareth gave Sarah a side eye and she gave him a bewildered expression back. "Wait, we didn't fail? But you told us… That was a dream?"

"In a sense." A sorceress said. "All of that was a simulation."

"Including our failures?" Jareth was still on edge.

"All of it." A fae confirmed. "The point of the trial is to see how you would act. The potion you drank? It was to put you to sleep. It was meant to make you experience your worst selves to see if you would still love and protect each other."

"It was to also test how you would react should you fail." An elf added. "You both wanted to be together but would not sacrifice the health of the kingdom. You would have done nearly everything to be with each other. You still had your integrity, your goodness."

"The monsters you fought didn't just test how you would do in a battle, but how you would react to say, losing magic, Your Majesty. And Lady Sarah had to learn how to deal with the burden of being the only one with magic. It was to test your strategy for sometimes, you may have limited resources as rulers."

"You were able to break the spell of being your worst. You were angry but still cared for each other. That is true love and devotion to being level-headed, to do the right thing even when your emotions were haywire."

Sarah still wasn't really accepting it yet. "How long have we been here?"

"A few days."

It took a moment for them to really understand what happened. "And the aftermath of the supposed failed trial?"

"To show us and you how you would have lived your life doing the best with what you had. And you would have done well as mortals."

Sarah put her hand to her mouth. "So, I can be immortal? Jareth doesn't have to give his up?"

They all smiled at her. "You will be a good queen. Congratulations and long may you both reign."

* * *

Jareth picked her up and spun her in circles. "You'll be my queen!"

Sarah kissed his face over and over. "I love you. Oh, we did it!"

It was a relief but also something that made them feel at peace with their decision to become immortal too after seeing what their life could've been like. It was nice to know that they would do good either way, but with a longer life to live meant more could be done.

Sarah laid her head on his chest to really let the news sink in. She would be with him forever and it made her so happy. Placing both hands on his face, they kissed once more. Something so small but so sweet.

They laughed as they approached the vault. The vault with the spell to change her to be an immortal.

As she was human, she would not become fae as Jareth but a changling. She would have the same powers as him and have a lot of the grace fae do, but still have many human qualities. For example, she wouldn't have pointy ears like he did.

The vault was a large, dark grey stone that blended into the side of a mountain. It looked pretty ordinary from the outside.

She placed her palm flat on the vault. It opened slowly as it hadn't been used in a long time. Looking inside, it was beautifully decorated. The walls had glowing images of fae and other creatures together. In the center was a shrine.

The shrine had a simple piece of parchment paper encased in glass.

Jareth conjured a crystal to create a box. Carefully, he placed the glass box inside as instructed by the Elders.

"Let's go home." He kissed his fiancée.

* * *

They set up a system where someone would always be watching over Sarah for the 13 days she would be under the spell transforming. Robert, Karen, Lydia, Daniel, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo were all in it. The court physician and her apprentice would be available should anything go wrong.

It was a painful process, they had been warned. Sarah would have hallucinations and it helped to have a love one near by as she would be near unconscience the whole time. Even Toby volunteered to stay with his sister should he be needed.

Jareth would have stayed with her the entire time but he did have a kingdom to run and couldn't just leave for 13 days straight.

Jareth, Daniel, and Lydia all enacted the spell. Weaving magic through the room, they grasped hands together to form a ball of energy. Gently, they pushed it into Sarah.

Sarah was knocked out instantly. Her eyes rolled back into her head and beads of sweat was on her forehead. Her hands were in fists and she shivered.

"Oh my god." Jareth held her close to him. "Oh my Sarah."

For days, this is what happened. Jareth would hold her close and rain small kisses on her. He would speak to her as if she could hear him. He would sing and caress her face over and over. Sometimes, she would whisper his name and have a moment of calm before her soul went back to being torturous.

"She looks awful." Toby remarked to Jareth. "She can't wake up?"

"Not for another few days." Jareth tried to feed her some food and got spit on by her. He never once complained and just took care of her as usual.

"Dad said that he was holding her hand and she said thank you to him." Toby tried to comfort him. "Oh, and mom said she gave her a sponge wash this morning."

"Tell Karen thank you for that." Jareth ruffled Toby's hair. "Thank you all for being here."

Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo also sat with her. They would try to feed her sometimes to ease Jareth's burden. They would read stories or tell her stories of their day just like they had seen Jareth do.

Lydia and Daniel knew that it was their duty to take care of Jareth just as much as it was their duty to take care of Sarah. They would remind him to eat or to shower and sleep.

"Sire, please take a small break. They did say she would be fine." Daniel tried to tell him. "Shall I bring dinner?"

"Sure." Jareth kissed Sarah's forehead. "I don't know, Daniel. When we had the trials, she nearly died in that simulation and more than once. It was one of the worst things I ever had to go through and I'm a little on edge."

"Don't blame you, Sire." Daniel sent a goblin to fetch some food. "If the same thing happened to Lydia or Alistair, I would be just as worried."

Finally, on the 13th day, Sarah's eyes fluttered open. She looked around her room to see Jareth slumped on his desk with paperwork next to him.

Her first thought was to check on him, then she remembered her transformation.

She went to the mirror and took her robe off to see if there were any physical changes. There really wasn't, she found. And she was grateful for that. She looked like herself. Little imperfections were there but she could see that her skin was healthier. Her hair was shinier and her eyes greener if that was possible.

But the most was how she felt. She felt strong. She felt powerful. Testing herself, she did some magic, channeling energy around her instead of within her to make a crystal. To her delight, she didn't feel fatigued as she usually did.

"Well, that's a nice sight to see."

She turned and saw Jareth leaning on the wall adjacent to her with a rather seductive smile on his face. His arms were folded, his shirt was hung low so his chest could be seen and his pants were impossibly tight as always.

With her new eyesight though, she could see that he was exhausted. He had been trying to stay awake with her and was playing it cool. His eyes roamed over her and he raised his eyebrows a little.

Sarah blushed and slipped her robe back on and walked toward him.

"Oh come on. I was enjoying that view." He teased her but kissed her fervently anyway.

Even this kiss felt different, but in a good way. It was like she was more sensitive to his touches. Everything felt great.

She pulled back and kissed his nose. "I remember you holding me and being there for me. For 13 days."

Jareth's eyes softened. "Of course. You look the same but a few differences. I'm glad that you're still my Sarah. How do you feel?"

Sarah wrapped her arms around him. "Less tired than usual when doing magic. I'm excited to try my magic out. And do things like transport on my own!"

"You have the capacity to be as powerful and strong as I." Jareth replied. He loved how excited she was. "As you should be for you will be queen."

"Queen." Sarah put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, I really have done it!"

They shared another kiss then freshened up to share the good news to their family and friends.

Almost immediately after that, Jareth made an engagement announcement. Both stood together proud on the balcony. Sarah was in a beautiful flower dress and Jareth in a nice glittered jacket.

"Citizens of the goblin kingdom!" He boomed to everyone. "It is my honor, duty, and pleasure to announce that Lady Sarah Williams and I are engaged! We will announce wedding plans shortly. To announce our engagement and happiness with everyone means so much."

Everyone cheered. Sarah was loved far and wide in their kingdom. Goblins laughed and danced. Children beamed. And the three friends were the loudest cheerers.

And with that, the King and his Lady shared a kiss for all to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Them having watches was a tribute to an early labyrinth script, where Jareth gives Sarah a pocket watch to keep time. The different mythological creatures were something I googled and they may or may not be totally accurate. I usually like to take ideas and then make my own stories out of them.
> 
> Here are the creatures:
> 
> Guardian Lions - originated from China and are usually on temples and shrines. I'm sure you've seen these if you've seen Mulan for example.
> 
> Maze of mirrors: it was suggested by a friend of mine, babylonidol on Instagram and garnet81 on FFN. She had an idea for that and I liked it. The different manipulations was based on Phantom of the Opera. If you've read the book, Erik traps Raoul and the Persian in a maze of mirrors with illusions. In the 2004 movie version, the mirror also appears. The broken fragments making their way into their hearts is based on the Snow Queen story where a piece of an evil mirror made by the devil lodged in a boy's heart and the tears of the girl he loves is able to melt the ice and evil from him.
> 
> The Bunyip is from Australia which lives in swamps and feeds on human flesh (eww, this is why I have to look up creepy things because I can't make this up myself).
> 
> La Ciguipa is from the Dominican Republic, lures men into woods and has backwards feet. A creepy enchantress. I changed it a bit to make it a demon.
> 
> Grootslang is the huge Serpent elephant, plagues a deep cave, South Africa. Honestly this freaked me out so bad that I had to write it in!
> 
> I think a Phoenix is from a lot of different cultures. I've heard Native American (don't quote me though) and there are asian forms of it. A Phoenix is reborn so I thought having it born from their renewed love would be cool!
> 
> The draugar are Scandinavian/Norse/Norwegian versions of creepy zombies. They are selfish and don't want to leave life to move on so they inflict harm on others.
> 
> Fun fact: Jennifer Connelly's middle name is Lynn so that's Sarah's middle name in my headcanon.
> 
> It was really important to me that Jareth and Sarah would be able to be their worst but to still prove their love and loyalty to one another. It was also kind of my indulgence to see what their lives would've been like had they chosen to be mortal, though I would prefer for them to be king and queen of course.


	12. Twenty-Six

A sharp and urgent knock was at his door. Cautious, Jeremy wasn't sure who could've bypassed his security system to come this close.

"Jeremy!" The voice called. "Please let me in."

"Sarah?" Jeremy bounded to the door and let the young woman in.

Sarah looked like she was near tears and she nearly collapsed on him in her urgency.

"Sweetie?" Jeremy hushed her. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Sarah calmed down some and he lead her to his living room. He got her a blanket and Sarah thanked him.

"I have anxiety." She confessed. Here green eyes were full of tears and she looked like she had hastily dressed herself and transported to his door. "Jareth is planning our engagement ball and I don't want to go."

"Shh. Here, let me make tea." The older man lead them both to the kitchen. "Okay, slow down and tell me what's going on."

"Last time I went to a formal ball, all these people were there gawking at me. And then I had a panic attack with Raynard was being a creep and ran away. They all think I'm weak." She sobbed into her tea.

"Hey." Jeremy put a hand on her back. "You worked hard and passed your trial. These monarchs gave you permission to have the crown matrimonial. You have nothing to be afraid of."

"A lot of Jareth's exes are going to be there too." She huddled into a ball. "And I shouldn't feel insecure but god, it's making me nervous. I guess that's a large downside of being an immortal king; you court other royal family members and then you can never avoid them completely. At least I can ignore my own exes."

Jeremy remembered Sarah mentioning the demon lady during their trial, the one that turned into Clarissa. Jareth had reassured her over and over but for many people, this was a demon that they have to deal for the rest of their lives. Jareth's demons were pride and keeping secrets albeit unknowingly. Sarah's was her insecurity.

"And I'm being schooled on what to do, what to expect, but I keep thinking about his mom." Sarah looked at him with pleading eyes. "What she went through-"

"Will not be repeated." Jeremy said firmly. "My cousin married a terrible person who used her for a spare. I suspect that Raynard knew in a way that Ingrid wanted to give up her throne so he wanted to have another child. And lo and behold, Jareth."

"Wasn't Eleanor made fun of in court?" Sarah said quietly. "I'm scared, Jeremy."

Jeremy reached for her hand and held it in his. He made sure Sarah could see his kind eyes and calm demeanor. "My dear." He said quietly. "Jareth loves you. He loved his mother and refuses to have you go through the same things she did. Why do you think he fought tooth and nail to make you his equal in every way that he could?"

"But I'm still scared." Sarah groaned. "He's done all this for me and I'm going to screw it all up. I trust him with all my heart, but that doesn't mean that I'm not scared that someone will knock me off my feet. It's me I don't trust."

"You literally took care of a national crisis at one point and the first human to be granted the crown matrimonial." Jeremy smirked. Uncanny how similar his smile is with Jareth's and Sarah couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it all those years. "It's a ball. You'll survive."

"One where I will meet with future allies." She groaned. "And I can't make a bad impression. Can you help me and coach me too? I came here alone because I'm worried about Jareth. He doesn't need to know how nervous I am and you know what happened with Eleanor more than anyone else. You were her right hand man for a while."

It was true, not even Daniel and Lydia knew the other royals as well as Jeremy did.

Jeremy patted her shoulder. "Of course. I will coach you if that helps."

They bid goodbye and as usual, they gave a kiss on each other's cheek. Sarah looked around carefully to avoid any paparazzi.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't realize that someone caught their kiss from right outside the window.

* * *

Sarah and Karen were designing her wedding dress. Sarah had a good eye for designs but Karen was the one who had a good eye for materials and color.

"I like that idea." She looked at Sarah's drawing. "It can have the coat of arms sewed into the hem."

"Jareth is going nuts from the fact that I won't let him see the design." Sarah laughed. "I told him I'll run it by Lydia and Jeremy to make sure that it fits protocol or whatever."

Karen pursed her lips at the mention of Jeremy but said nothing. She colored in the flowers and showed the design to Sarah. "You said Jareth's coat will be light blue, his mother's favorite color right? You should make the majority of the flowers on your dress match."

Sarah new immortal powers helped her to see the flicker of Karen's face. "Karen, I saw your face about Jeremy. What's wrong about him?"

Karen tried to further avoid the conversation but one look from Sarah told her that she wasn't going to get away with it.

She sighed. "Look, I understand that Jeremy is Jareth's parental figure and someone you trust. But things haven't always been smooth going with him while he was with Linda."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked sharply. She had always been defensive over Jeremy. When she was young, it was because Robert had dated Karen and she still idolized her mother and her mother's boyfriend as a consequence. Now, he was close to her and Jareth mostly because he was Jareth's father figure.

Karen was slightly taken aback by Sarah's tone. "Honey, you know why your parents divorced, right?"

Now Sarah was taken aback. She blinked a few times and sat up a little straighter. "Yeah, it's because of how she wanted the limelight back and because she cheated on Dad. You're not insinuating that Jeremy was a part of that. Are you?"

Karen shook her head. "No, I don't mean that one bit. None of that was Jeremy's fault because he dated your mom after. However, because he was falling for your mom, he took to her side. He heard lies from your mother and he believed them. Part of those lies were about you. He believed that Linda was cheated out of custody with you. I don't blame him, he loved her at the time and he eventually found out that she lied."

Sarah couldn't believe it. She had no idea any of this happened. "Mom said what to him? That's a blatant lie. She gave custody over to Dad!"

"Yes and no." Karen gave a sympathetic look to her. "Your father never forced her to give up custody but he knew that she wouldn't take care of you if she had. Even when you visited her, how often did you spend one on one with her? Almost never. He wanted to keep you out of the tabloids and to have a grounded life. Linda agreed but apparently she felt the need to paint your father in a bad light."

Sarah didn't move for a few seconds. She never knew any of this. Come to think of it, she did notice that her father and Jeremy always seemed to be courteous but cold to each other. She had always just assumed it was because he was dating Linda though. People can act weird to their exes new beau even if they're over them.

"Why didn't I know of this?" Sarah almost demanded. "I'm 26 years old now. I'm an adult, about to be queen, and I'm just now knowing this?"

"Sarah, we didn't keep it from you for so long on purpose." Karen tried to defend herself. "When you were young, it was because there was no need to involve you with their issues. You see already in the middle of it all and no one wanted to make it worse. As you got older, we didn't feel the need to say or even care. Plus, you liked Jeremy. And I wanted you to like me too." Her voice tapered off at the end.

"I didn't need to give you another reason to dislike me by bad mouthing them."

Sarah covered her mouth with her hand. She hadn't thought of it that way. "Oh, I was so awful to you, was I?"

Karen gave a hollow laugh. "No, you just wanted your mother. And I was in the way and I know I'm overbearing at times. But look at us now. I'm designing your wedding dress." She beamed at Sarah.

Sarah smiled back. "Man, am I glad that teenage days don't last long."

"You're telling me." Karen winked. "Toby will be a teenager soon. And someday you'll have your own little ones to raise."

"Yeah." Sarah's eyes glazed over and a goofy smile reached her face. The thought of being a mother to Jareth's little children made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"So what kind of wedding do you want?" Karen asked. "Any themes that hit you? I know that you have two weddings to deal with so we can be simple with the one here if you'd like."

"Jareth and I were thinking that maybe we could do some kind of star or galaxy themed wedding." Sarah said dreamily. "And let's do it early June because the rain will let up and the flowers are out. I know it costs more in the spring and summer months-"

"Oh hush." Karen waved. "Don't worry too much about that. We won't go bankrupt from having it in your dream month. Early June sounds good. Trying to avoid Summer Solstice?"

"Yeah. We can't really miss it and having a few weeks to get settled as husband and wife for the Solstice then have our official Underground wedding will be great! We're going to get married by the beach Underground, per tradition of course. And it'll actually be warm there!"

They discussed more wedding plans and designs. Sarah had thought she missed Linda, but now that she was with Karen, there was nothing better than this. Linda would have tried to do things her way, but Karen was more patient now with her and really cared for Sarah's input first and foremost now that she was older.

* * *

"A little early for this, don't you think?" Jeremy remarked.

Jareth shrugged. "For a fitting? No. I mean, I have to look 'normal' or as normal as I can, aren't I?" He quipped at his older relative.

Jeremy had taken Jareth to get measurements for his Aboveground wedding with a professional place he would get fittings for. They decided on something similar to what he would wear Underground but definitely with looser pants.

"You want to wear a light blue suit jacket?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow. He really wasn't sure what went on Jareth's head sometimes.

"Hey, it's the color of the jacket I'll be wearing on my wedding day with all the military metals and whatever other official crap." The king said defiantly.

"Just checking." Jeremy teased.

They were silent for a moment until Jareth started to speak again. "Jeremy?"

"Hmm?" The older man put down the newspaper and raised an eyebrow. "What is it my boy?"

Jareth squirmed a little bit after the tailor went go find the fabric they wanted. "I was wondering, could you officiate the wedding here? I really want you to be there with me. I have Daniel coming up but it would mean a lot if you had a big part."

Jeremy's heart went out to him. Though Jareth may be a king, he was still that little boy from so long ago. He was still a kid at heart in many ways and still wanted someone to love and guide him. The trauma from his mother's death and the loss of his father and sister really ate at him.

Which made his answer to him even harder.

Jeremy saw the king's shoulders drop and his eyes downcast. Already, Jareth was reading his body language and knew what was going to say.

"Why not?" Jareth pleaded.

Jeremy pinched his nose and sighed. He made sure to let Jareth know how much that meant to him. "Jareth, I would love to. I am honored and would do what I could for you. But I have to decline. For Robert."

Jareth's face scrunched in confusion. "Robert? What does he have to do with this?"

"Jareth, I may be your relative, but I dated his ex after they split for about a decade. I have been around Sarah's life too."

"So?" His voice rose almost to a shrill. "You are not replacing him. He's still escorting her down the isle."

"But he and I have a history, Jareth." Jeremy tried to get him to understand. "I suppose you don't know that once I had accused him of being a selfish man because he had full custody of Sarah?"

"What? No?" Jareth looked and him incredulously. "Why the hell would you say something so stupid? Linda didn't want Sarah."

"Well, kind of." Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief that Jareth wasn't about to storm to Robert's house and demand for them to make up. Though he was a little peeved at the typical Jareth-insult thrown at him. "She did want joint custody to look good but she would often leave Sarah alone while she partied. Sometimes, I would even hang out with the poor girl and make sure she was alright. But prior to that, I didn't know any of this. Linda had lied to me about Robert and though we've apologized, it was a sensitive subject. When you involve a child in an adult argument, a lot of feelings go by. Not just for the children but for the adults too."

"Gods." Jareth shook his head. "I had no idea. Sarah never told me."

"She likely doesn't know." Jeremy said. "Robert tried to keep this away from her, which was good. We get along, as you know, but in many ways, I was almost a stepfather to her. I would've been if Linda married me. I don't want to upstage him at her wedding and I don't want to cause any drama."

Jareth felt so heartbroken. Such emotions weren't alien to him but it was a shame that they would have to accommodate. "I understand. Can you make a toast to us or something instead?"

Jeremy smiled. "I would love to. By the way, what part will Linda be playing at the wedding, if at all?"

"Ha!" Jareth made a crystal and juggled it for fun. "She won't be coming. We aren't going to invite her and THANK GOD. Less awkward for you I assume and less awkward for everyone else too. Sarah was adamant that while she has to invite certain family members, she will not invite Linda. I don't think they've held any conversations or had any contact besides Linda sending some generic Christmas card and only signing her name. Sarah gave up a long time ago."

He whistled a fun tune just thinking about how proud he was of her to not feed into guilt and to not invite her crazy mother. "By the way, I want to add glitter in my hair so it shines."

"Of course you do." Jeremy grinned.

Back behind them, a shadow was lurking and listening to their every word.

It was far from over.

* * *

_One week later_

Sarah and Jareth were back visiting Karen and getting some more ideas done for the wedding. Karen was all about connections. Robert had a friend who owed him a favor and was able to get them a discount for a wedding at a five-star hotel. The two women and the king were chatting excitedly and were going to go pick Toby up.

"He's still at the age of being excited to be with his parents and big sister." Karen said as they drove. She made a left turn to the road of Toby's school. "Will you guys be at his band concert Thursday?"

"Duh." Sarah answered for both of them. "He looks so excited with that trumpet. How is listening to him practice like compared to when I played flute?"

Jareth snorted and Sarah elbowed him. He heard ALL of Sarah's stories about how she was probably annoying the entire house and how Merlin would constantly bark at her whenever she played.

"Oh easy. Toby is worse." Karen laughed. "Maybe flute would have been worse but trumpets are just so loud! And the noise it makes just sounds indecent at times. Now he's been playing for a year and actually sounds like he can play more songs than just hot cross buns. Haven't seen him be so dedicated to doing anything as much as perfecting his playing. It's amazing!"

"That's wonderful to hear." Jareth fully approved of someone learning to play an instrument. "Music is such a good way to express yourself."

Karen told the couple to pick up the young boy while she went to park. Toby probably wanted to be seen with his cool big sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law. Hand in hand, Jareth and Sarah walked towards the band room where Toby would be picking up his trumpet.

A few of the teachers blushed at seeing Jareth, for he was so outlandish but also so handsome. However, some of Sarah's past teachers recognized her and greeted her here and there while shuffling on their group of children. Sarah introduced her fiancé and they all expressed their congratulations. Jareth preened at being showed off by his lady.

Sarah saw Mrs. Armstrong, her old band teacher and now her brother's teacher. "Mrs. Armstrong!"

"Well if it isn't Sarah Williams!" She laughed and embraced the girl. "How are you sweetie?"

Jareth stood back to let the two women catch up. Still no sign of Toby. Hmm. That didn't seem so normal.

Call it a hunch, but the king felt something prick at his skin and the hairs on his neck stood up. His eyes sharply looked up around him. He saw Sarah turn back to see him.

She felt it too.

She turned back momentarily to her teacher. "Do you know where Toby is? I'm sorry, my fiancé and I have to go."

"He should have been with us, I saw him a moment ago." Mrs. Armstrong looked around strangely. "If you can't find him, come back to me after all these kids are dropped off. Pleasure to meet you, Jareth."

Jareth politely shook hands with her and they went off to find Toby.

"I feel weird, like I'm being watched." She said to him.

"I feel it too." Jareth's face was hard and unpleasant. "Let's find Toby and take him and Karen home."

They turned the corner to go to the band room's entrance when a bright flash was shoved into their faces.

"Sarah Williams!"

"What the hell?" Sarah gasped at the amount of photographers trying to get a photo of her and Jareth.

"Is this your husband to be?" One asked her.

"What were you doing at Jeremy Allen's house? Why were you kissing him?"

"Jared is it? Did you really plan to not have Linda show up at your wedding?"

Question after question. Sarah panicked but lucky for her, Jareth held her shoulders so her magic wouldn't explode in their faces. How did they know of her wedding? How did they know that they had visited Jeremy?

And what was it about Jeremy and Sarah kissing?

"What are you doing here?" The king demanded them. "This is a school!"

Sarah closed her eyes and focused calmly. "I decline to comment at this moment! You are invading our privacy!"

Jareth discreetly formed a small crystal to track down Toby. To his relief, he had found his way to Karen in the car. The bad news was, more reporters were surrounding Karen.

He yanked Sarah into the school building. Walking into an empty classroom, he formed a crystal. "Karen?"

Karen's face appeared. "Oh my god, Jareth what's going on?"

"No idea." He said. "Sarah and I will transport home, you drive away."

"And we'll contact dad as soon as we can." Sarah growled. "I think I know what happened."

Back at the house, the reporters followed them all the way back but didn't come in of course. They just parked there as going inside would be considering trespassing on private property.

"What was that?" Karen looked hurried. "They were asking Toby questions about you two."

Sarah had her mouth stuck in a tight line as she called her father. "Dad?"

"Honey I'm in the middle of a meeting right now and I'm only answering because you called five times, is something wrong?" He sounded worried.

Sarah struggled to not strangle someone and to not direct her anger at her father. "I don't know exactly how or why, but reporters are in front of our house right now. Jareth went to the grocery in disguise and we found some tabloids of us."

There was a large photo of Sarah giving Jeremy a kiss on the cheek, though the angle made it look like they were kissing on the lips.

_Could this be the reason Linda and Jeremy had split?_ One cover read. _Could it be that her daughter had struck up a romance with the man who could have been her stepfather?_

_Linda's daughter marrying a man who is related to her ex!_ Another title read. _Or is it just a cover up for her romance with Jeremy?_

_Linda not invited to the wedding, but Jeremy is!_ Yet another read.

Inside the tabloids were some speculation about what had happened. Most theories suggested that Sarah and Jeremy had a romance and she was marrying Jareth as a way to get closer to him. And some, but fewer, correctly suggested that she and Linda had a falling out which was why she was not invited to the wedding.

All of them though, wondered why Jeremy was invited to the wedding.

And all of them had a statement written by Linda herself.

There was yet another photo of Linda crying, being incoherent and saying things like "I can't believe she would do this to me!" And other inconclusive things. She didn't confirm or deny any theories.

"WHAT?" Robert yelled. "You're kidding right?"

"I wish I was!" She yelled into the phone. "I'm going to call her!"

"Sarah, please don't be rash." Robert begged her. "I'm coming back home right now."

Too late. She hung up on him and was starting to dial another number.

"I'm so confused." Toby said. "Mom, what's happening?"

"I'd like to know too." Jareth looked at Karen.

Karen faced Toby. "Maybe you should go upstairs and let the adults talk."

"NO WAY." Toby yelled. "I was the one who got bombarded by reporters! I'm 12, not 7 or 8. I deserve to know what's happening."

Meanwhile, Sarah finally found the right number. She sat there waiting angrily.

"Fine fine." Karen didn't want to argue with her son. "Your Dad and Linda had a deal to keep the tabloids out of Sarah's life. He worked tooth and nail to get her to have a normal life. This wasn't as bad when she was on broadway but then she would occasionally act in Hollywood along big stars."

She watched her stepdaughter in dismay. "And things were fine until today for some reason."

Sarah waited patiently until someone answered the phone.

"Hello? Krista? Yes this is Sarah…. Yeah."

Krista seemed to be speaking very fast from what Jareth's sensitive ears could pick up. Then Sarah started to yell again. "BULLSHIT!"

Karen cringed at her stepdaughter's swearing and would normally tell her to tone it down for Toby's sake. But Sarah was on a roll.

"Okay Krista, stop pretending like you don't know who I am! I've known you since my parents divorced. GET LINDA ON THE GODDAMN PHONE NOW!"

And then silence.

Sarah nearly slammed the phone back into the receiver. She huffed and turned to her family. She brought up her hands for air quotations. "Krista says 'oh I'm sorry if you want to speak to Linda please set up an appointment. I don't know who you are.' UGH!" She plopped on the couch. "This is stupid! I know for sure now that she set me up and is too cowardly to talk to me!"

"I'm still unsure of what you're thinking." Jareth's eyebrows creased together. "Maybe something to help calm you down?"

"Oh hell no." Sarah looked at him with defiance. "I plan to stay angry. How dare they go to Toby's school and berate him there? How dare they feel the need to invade in my private life?"

"Isn't that what you'll be doing as queen though?" Toby asked her. "I mean, be in the public eye."

"That's completely different." She retorted. "I am going to choose to be in the public eye UNDERGROUND. I did no such thing here. And to go after a minor like you. Did you guys call the police yet?"

"I got some different news agencies and when your dad gets home, we'll talk about using the law to protect Toby." Karen reassured her. "I'm curious about what Jareth said. How do you know Linda was behind all of this and not just some spies who are hungry for any news?"

Sarah picked up one of the magazines and flipped through it with quickness and ease from being a changling. "Here. The photo of Jeremy and I. That logo for the copyright, Tourain Images is from one of the company she sponsors. She's hired them to track down Jeremy and other exes before. Exes like Keith."

"Keith?" Toby asked.

"The man she cheated on Dad with." Sarah replied. "She's targeting me."

She turned to Karen. "You know Linda. She ALWAYS holds a grudge. I bet that she's been spying on Jeremy for a while but hasn't leaked anything until now because she didn't have any dirt against him and now he's broken off his engagement from whoever he was dating."

Jareth was looking at her with a sideways glance. Something still felt off about this. Like she was hiding some information. "So, why were you at Jeremy's alone? I wasn't aware of this."

At this, Sarah's head snapped to her fiancé. The bright green anger in her eyes was unmistakable. "Are you accusing me of the same thing these tabloids are?"

"What the hell Sarah?" He demanded. "I just was asking!"

"Because you don't trust me?" She nearly sobbed. "I thought we went through this! I want you and no one else. Jeremy is like an uncle to both of us!"

"I do trust you!" He screamed. "I just wanted to know what happened, that's all! Why are you acting so suspicious? Do you have something to hide?" He grabbed onto her wrist to stop her from moving but not hard. Just enough to alert her that he was there.

She yanked her hand away even though he wasn't holding her hard and stormed off to her old bedroom. "I can't believe that you would accuse me and not trust me!"

And she slammed the door shut.

Jareth had a mind to transport to the room and yell at her, but Karen held onto his sleeve. "Hey, let her calm down. She's just really edgy when it comes to Linda. I've never heard her call her mother by her first name before. Have you two had anything to eat?" She asked him.

Both Jareth and Toby looked at her, confused.

"Food helps you think, you know." She said. "Being hungry does you or Sarah no favors. She could just be short circuited at the moment."

Toby shifted a little uncomfortably. "Is this a bad time to tell you guys that we have some bad news?"

Jareth pinched his nose and Karen tried to not scold her son. The king gave him a tired look. "Proceed, Toby."

Toby looked to the window. "You guys were yelling pretty loudly and the window was open."

Jareth and Karen saw, in their horror, that the reporters were still outside and many tried to set up listening devices from the street.

Jareth rolled up his sleeve. "Those motherf-"

"Hey enough swearing." Karen clicked her tongue at him. "I'll go make a sandwich and you can give it to Sarah. Let's not worry about things we can't control."

Karen got Jareth a grilled cheese with a tomato inside for Sarah. "Try to not get into a yelling match again, okay?"

Jareth smirked. "I'll try. You know how my temper gets."

"Oh, I'm aware." She smiled back.

Jareth slowly knocked on the door. "Sarah?"

She didn't respond for a moment.

He tried again. "Sarah, please open the door. I have some food for you too, a grilled cheese with tomato. Why on earth you like tomato is beyond me."

That did the trick. He heard a little chuckle and the door opened slightly. He saw that she had been crying. She beckoned him. "Come in."

They walked over to the bed and sat in it next to her. Now that this wasn't Sarah's home any longer, it was a guest room. Most of her things were packed away in the attic but the bedspread was still there. It felt empty but of course, this was a place where magic happened for her.

"Thank you." She took the sandwich and ate it. "I didn't realize that I hadn't eaten lunch."

Jareth put an arm around her and kissed her head. "I know you get 'hangry' as Karen calls it. I admit I was too. I'm sorry I yelled at you." He sighed.

Sarah giggled at the breadcrumb on his lip and wiped it off with her thumb. "Look at you, apologizing."

"Don't get used to it." He captured her hand and kissed it. "I do it for you mostly."

"And because you know you're wrong, I hope." She couldn't help but egg him on.

Jareth responded with a grunt. He eyed her and tilted his head for her turn.

"Oh okay." She relented. "I'm sorry for snapping at you too. I did get defensive, wasn't I?"

She set down her plate. She didn't want to tell Jareth what had happened but now she felt like she had to or else he would be nervous. "I went to visit Jeremy alone because I didn't want to worry you."

Jareth pulled her closer to him and tilted her chin up. "Now why would you feel like that? I thought we promised no secrets."

"It's the engagement party. The ball." She clarified. "You're so busy and I know you've been helping me a lot but…"

She paused a little and drank some water.

"But what?" He nudged her.

"But I didn't know how to tell you that I still have insecurities." She said quietly. "Not about you wanting to be with someone else or anything, but you know how petty court can get. The last time I was at a ball with you… The Yule Ball… Well we know how that went. And this engagement ball is going to be a state function. This will include your exes too and I can never escape them."

She put her face in her hands. "I went to see Jeremy because he knows a lot of people at court from him being your mother's right hand man. He knows the ins and outs and I didn't want to bother you about it because I'm stupid and have too many issues. I don't ever have to see my exes again but yours will always be around somewhere and I know some are petty enough to remind me that they were made and raised to be Goblin Queen. And here I am, a changling who came from the middle of nowhere about to be queen. I just fell in love with its king." She ended.

Jareth's eyes went downcast. He hadn't thought of it this way before. Oh, his poor Sarah. This would be a demon she would forever had to deal with. It didn't matter if she passed the Trials or if she became a changling. Insecurities would not vanish overnight like one of those evil creatures they had to fight.

In their mind, they knew what was logical. They could go through anything together. The anxiety and emotions take a bit of time to catch up. And she didn't want to waste that time by going through the same old thing with him over and over.

"Hey." He kissed her eyelids. "I understand. I really do. I know you did that for me but you're already perfect and you don't have to make everyone like you. I don't have any good advice besides what I've given you. Maybe seeing Jeremy was a good idea for he's wiser than me and yes, he does know the specific people."

He groaned. "I also hate the fact that most of my exes will be at the ball. I was forced to date mostly royals and now they're everywhere."

"Imagine if we had to deal with my exes too." She scoffed. But her eyes were playful. She had calmed down now and didn't feel like Jareth thought she had betrayed his trust with Jeremy.

"I'd prefer that actually. They're all mortal, so we wouldn't have to deal with them forever." He showed her his pointy teeth.

"Jareth!" She swatted at him and laughed.

"For real though." He said. "At least they're human. Humans are much less petty than immortals. We live forever. For humans, life is too short for grudges. I'm sorry you have to deal with my past."

Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck. "It does suck and I still have anxiety. But what I'm trying to remember is that while they may have been your past, I am your present and your future."

"My one and only." Jareth agreed.

They kissed before meeting with Robert downstairs.

* * *

Robert made phone calls all over, and was stressing out. Badly. He was able to protect Toby but for him, Karen, Sarah, and Jareth, it was all going to be a big and crazy mess.

"I tried to call her again." Sarah grabbed a bottle of wine. She was going to need it to get through this. "She won't answer me. That coward."

"She's not a coward, she's smart." Jareth rolled a crystal in his hands to keep them busy. "Sarah, you need to think politically."

Sarah paused before taking a sip of wine. "What do you mean?"

Jareth got up to pace. "You have this notion of what Linda is like. She's your mother after all."

"She's not my mother." Sarah said tersely. Both Robert and Karen shrank back a little at the angry glow in her eyes. Since she had become a changling, her powers had been not only stronger, but she seemed to hold authority and a bit of cruelty like Jareth. "A mother doesn't toss her child aside like that and then try to infringe upon her life."

"Fine, then she _was_ your mother. Better?" Jareth was exasperated and didn't want to argue semantics. "You looked up to her when you were younger, for years. And then now, you aren't feeling that way anymore of course but you still seem to almost be in denial or upset that she would 'dare do this' when in your mind, you've always known that she's been this kind of person."

"Wha- denial?" Sarah couldn't believe he would say such a thing. She had known what kind of person Linda was for al long time and had dispelled all notions of her being a good person. "Why you-"

"Stop." Jareth held his hand up in kingly authority. "Do not start on me or accuse me of things. I know how you feel. Have you forgotten why Jeremy is the only family I have left in the first place?"

Sarah took another breath to argue, but as he said those last words, she really, truly thought about it. In her heart, she had hoped that Linda would change. People could change, and she always believed that. But more often than not, they didn't. And Linda was one of those people.

"After all this time." Sarah sat down and took a large gulp of alcohol. "I thought maybe she would change. I had a small hope that she would come to love me more than her reputation or her pride. That I was someone important to her."

"Oh honey." Robert pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around his daughter. "Hey, you are a good, good person and you gave your best shot."

"Jareth's right." Sarah mumbled, looking over Robert's shoulder to see Jareth sitting next to Karen, staring sadly at her. "I have been in denial. And I don't know what to do with her because I keep hoping that if I don't cut things off from her, then there will be a time to come back." She wiped her eyes. "Now though, now I know that my relationship with her isn't worth saving."

Robert held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "My Sarah. You always have us, okay? This isn't a decision that you have to make tonight. We can discuss it tomorrow. Get some rest and come back then."

It was the best course of action. Sarah and Jareth bid her family goodbye and they transported back into their chambers.

Jareth let go of her waist but Sarah just held him tighter. "Please, just hold me, Jareth. I need to remember and to feel that you're here for me."

He understood. "I always am, Sarah. Just like you were there for me when my world fell, I will be here for you."

* * *

Sarah slept for a few hours then awoke to Jareth beside her on the bed, writing a few things.

"Hey." She scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing his shoulder. "What are you up to?"

Jareth kissed her cheek. "Writing in my journal. Just thinking and reflecting."

"That's good." Sarah put her hand on his thigh under the covers and gave a squeeze. "I'm sorry for how frustrated I was today."

"No need to apologize, love." Jareth reassured her.

They sat in silence for a bit, only the sound of a pen gliding across the page could be heard before Jareth closed his journal shut.

Sarah saw the look in his eyes. It was something between sadness, longing, and a lot of action planning in his mind. She could even feel his heart begin to race a little.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She ran her fingers in his hair. She knew he loved it and how much it comforted him.

"I was thinking about my mother." Jareth said quietly. He didn't want to even say it at first since Sarah was having issues with her own, but he found that by talking about his own problems, it helped both of them to put things into perspective.

Sarah put a hand on his chest and traced her thumb on his pendant. He had been missing her quite a bit now that he was going to have a huge milestone in his life: marriage. She had an idea come to her. "Jareth, would it help to go visit her?"

Jareth stiffened a bit at the idea. "You mean, go to the family crypt?"

Sarah nodded. "When was the last time you went?"

Jareth sighed. "Not since she died."

"Then maybe it's time to go and pay her a visit." Sarah held his hand. "Maybe it will help you. And when we come back, we can make some kind of shrine, some memorial in her honor. A lot of people make benches Above. We could dedicate some kind of garden or something. Maybe it would do you good to speak to her."

Jareth thought about this. His mother passed, and even if her soul was around somewhere, he knew that she wouldn't be bothered that he didn't visit her. This was more for him than anyone else. But grieving doesn't stop when you love the person so much that they're a part of you. He would have said no before, but with Sarah, he decided to try. "I'll go, only if you come with me."

Sarah nuzzled against him. "Of course."

* * *

Sarah made sure to be dressing her best. Nothing over the top for a ball, more like someone's Sunday best. Polite, conservative. Semi formal. She donned on an A-line black skirt and a soft yellow blouse.

Jareth was so dressed in such a fashion, but his own style, as usual. He had on black boots around his black tights. He had on a brown overcoat and his hair looked tamer than usual, though still wild.

They would be visiting someone important today.

Jareth preferred to keep to himself, but after speaking with Jeremy about how much he wished he had his family at the wedding, he decided that it was time for him to go visit after so many years. Maybe it was a way to dress the old wounds rather than open them up. Sarah would be his anchor, and he could visit her alone too if needed.

He agreed. Having Sarah by his side would mean a lot to him and keep him grounded. She held his hand and kissed his knuckles for confirmation that she was there with him.

They walked over to the cemetery. It was a beautiful land, actually. Grass was green and flowers all over. Unlike Above, the Underground had relatively few people in their population and royalties were able to have their own family crypt. Jareth tapped the statue of Solana and Muraco, their reigning deities.

The statue moved to reveal a staircase. The king and his fiancée both made glowing crystal orbs to float in front of them. Descending downward, Sarah clutched her cape closer to herself to keep warm.

They passed multiple, multiple effigies and spaces. Sarah could see the look on Jareth's face, one of dislike for such a space.

"I've always hated this space." He said. "And the thought of being buried here sickens me. It feels unnatural to have my body surrounded by stone instead of going through nature's way and decomposing in the dirt, for a new life cycle."

"I understand that." Sarah patted his hand. Everyone had different thoughts of how they'd like to be buried, or not at all. She had wanted to be an organ donor if possible, but now she was a changling that wouldn't be feasible. "I think people should be able to be buried pretty much however they please."

"Perhaps we can change that." Jareth smiled at her.

They reached their destination where the previous Goblin Queen laid. Jareth whispered a few words, and the room opened.

As Queen Eleanor was the most recent royal to pass away, her body was isolated from others in case of a need to visit.

Like right now.

Her coffin had her effigy on top, sleeping peacefully with her hands placed at her heart. Jareth told her that the effigy, while looking a lot like her, did not do her justice. It did not show her kindness or her smile. It did not show how good of a mother she was.

Jareth laid his hand on the arm of the effigy. His eyes were swimming with emotions. "Hello, Mother. It's been a long, long time." He spoke as if she was still there, still listening.

Who knows. Maybe she was.

Sarah tried to move back a little, to give him space but he held onto her hand even tighter. She understood and put an arm around him.

"I've thought of you often." He smiled. "It's hard to believe that I've grown up without you. I could've used your guidance, but I'm glad I got to experience your love. Your love is what held me all this time and it's why I was able to eventually open up to someone special."

He looked at Sarah adoringly. "I'd like to introduce you, mother, to my bride to be, Sarah Williams. She ran my Labyrinth at such a young age. She defeated my prideful ego and befriended me. I was too stubborn to tell her that I loved her for fear of rejection and for fear that I wasn't good enough. But she's strong. So strong. And I know you would've loved her."

He let out a sob and went down on one knee for respect. "I love you, Mother. I've missed you so much."

Sarah went down on the floor with him and cradled him in her arms. She let him cry, knowing that he had been holding a lot of emotions in him for so long. She knew that he missed her greatly and wished that he could've talked to her about their courtship and their problems with his father and sister.

Jareth rested his head on Sarah's shoulder. "Thank you, love."

Sarah kissed his cheek. "I'm here for you."

She wasn't planning on doing this, but she felt the need to honor his late mother and to show Jareth that she understood his pain too.

Sarah also spoke as if the former queen was listening. She bowed her head a little. "Queen Eleanor, I cannot tell you how privileged I've been to have your son in my life. Jareth has treated me well, has been a friend and will be the best husband. Thank you for giving him the love that he's had in him. Because of your influence on him, however short, you've guided him throughout these years."

She took a glance at Jareth who was now behind her with his hands on her stomach. His breathing had slowed but she could feel his tears on her hair. Turning back to the former queen, she spoke some more. "I want you to know, that just as he had asked my parents for their blessing, I would have asked you for yours. As he had promised to love and cherish me, to protect and to take care of me, I promise to you to love, cherish, protect, and take care of him to the best of my abilities. He deserves nothing less and I want you to know that I am honored to have him."

She bowed her head once more. "For years to come, Jareth and I will tell our children about you. We will share whatever stories we can gather from everyone who knew you as well as his own memories. We have Jeremy too. Your memory will live on with us and never fade. Your legacy will continue forever for you have raised a king that is open to change and good in the world."

She knelt down on one knee and crossed an arm over her chest in a sign of loyalty to the late queen.

Jareth stood up, one hand caressing the tip of Sarah's head and the other brushing off some dust from the effigy (and using some magic to clean part of it). He leaned down and kissed the top of the effigy's head. The two most important women in his life were in the same room and he took comfort in the love both had granted him.

"May we meet again, in the Summerlands." He told his sweet mother. He took Sarah's hand and off they went back to the world of the living.

"Thank you for that." He told her when they closed the entrance to the crypt. "I don't know if the summerlands are real or if she was even listening. I'd like to think she was."

"Of course, Love. What's important is that you know how she would have done and said." Sarah hugged him close to her, her head tilting up to him. "I'm glad we went. How do you feel?"

Jareth tilted his head a little. "Relieved, strangely. Like something in my heart I had carried but never realizing I had. I may not have a good father or sister, but I had a good mother and now a future wife who will keep me in good hands." He curled a strand of hair behind her ear. "To be able to speak to her was something I didn't know I needed."

He sniffed. "I still can't believe she's gone. I know it's so silly after so many years of being without her."

Sarah placed both hands on his face. "The people who love us never really leave us. She lives forever in you." She placed her hand on his chest where his heart was. "She will always be there by your side."

They shared yet another kiss.

* * *

Now, it was time to deal with Linda.

Sarah decided to be political, as Jareth said. She wasn't going to bait Linda, she wasn't going to be petty, she was just going to do what needed to be done.

Against Robert's wishes, Sarah decided to contact a few news agencies and lawyers to do her bidding. The first thing she and Jareth got done was to make sure that every single damned reporter who showed up at Toby's school to be fired and have their credentials taken away. Hungry for the story is one thing, but to swoop into a school was crossing a big fat line.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jareth asked her. "Would ignoring her be better?"

"Considering that it's been one freaking month and they still haven't let up, I'm going to play her game." Sarah said sternly. "But I won't give her the satisfaction of trying to talk with her again."

After those first calls, Sarah decided that enough was enough. Clearly Linda was just doing this for her own attention, to be relevant in the news. Sarah wasn't just doing this for herself. As a future Goblin Queen, she could disguise herself. It was Jeremy and her family that she had to worry about.

"So if you're not going to make a statement to the media, what will you do?" Jeremy asked her. "What's your secret weapon?"

"My fiancé." Sarah gave a slow grin towards Jareth.

* * *

In her penthouse, Linda Williams was getting more and more agitated. She was waiting, waiting for Sarah to break. She was hoping that Sarah would lose her temper and then crawl back to her, letting her once again take control of her life and to use her as a crutch for all the issues in her life. Sarah was young, beautiful, whereas Linda was getting older.

She wore a very luxurious and expensive bathrobe that cost her around $500 and decided to have a pedicure right in her own living room. She flipped the television on and began to watch the news of the day.

"And today we have reports of Jeremy Allen-"

Linda leaned in closer at Jeremy's name.

"-who was seen having coffee with a striking young man confirmed to be engaged to Linda William's daughter. If you recall, Jeremy and Linda had a long and high profile relationship with. It seems that he has no problem at all whatsoever with the kiss that seemed to be shared between his future wife and Jeremy. Further investigation shows that the young man's name is Jareth, who visited Jeremy quite often. Look, even some adoring fans are getting him right now!"

Linda was gripping her wine glass so tightly, it was a miracle that it didn't break. Though she had money and fame, she wasn't nearly as adored as Jeremy. She never understood why. And now, Sarah's fiancé wasn't even upset but was happy!

"Excuse me, excuse me." The news anchor approached Jeremy. "Who is this young man right here?"

"My nephew." Jeremy smiled proudly at Jareth. "We were just having a chat."

"Over wedding plans I assume?" The news anchor pushed in. "Is it true that you were seen greeting your ex's daughter with a kiss?" She turned to Jareth. "How do you feel about that?"

Jareth laughed. "How do I feel about an important man in my fiancée's life kissing her cheek? Is that truly a question?"

"But Linda-"

"Oh? Now why the concern?" Jareth looked directly into the camera, every bit as sassy and condescending as the king he was. "Are you accusing Linda of being so stupid that she would really think that way about her own daughter?"

Sarah had told Jareth to actually say this. That way, it wouldn't look like THEY were accusing Linda of anything, but to let the public and the media come to their own conclusions about her mother's awfulness.

The news anchor faltered a bit. "But her statements, saying that her daughter betrayed her-"

"She said that?" Jareth looked surprised. "Well, I suppose we shall make our own conclusions about that, wouldn't we?"

"And is she invited to the wedding? You were heard saying that she wasn't. And yet, Jeremy is."

"By whose words?" Jareth stood authoritatively. "We have yet to even send invitations."

"Linda said-"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Jareth yelled impatiently. Linda could see genuine anger on his face. She put her hands together gleefully. She had sent her spies to go and find out information about Jeremy. Maybe Jareth will let something slip.

Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose. "Listen, no one was supposed to know of the wedding yet. I don't know how people found out, and I said no such thing about Linda."

Linda frowned. "But he did!" She yelled at the TV. "He definitely said that I wasn't invited!"

"The only plans we had discussed for the wedding was how I would propose." Jareth looked over at Jeremy, who was still with a horde of fans. "He's my uncle, my father figure and helped me to propose. How did people find out? I hadn't even told her parents before discussing it with Jeremy."

Jareth may look distressed on the outside but inside he knew his plan was unfolding. He and Jeremy had a suspicion that someone had been a mole, listening in on them during Jareth's first fitting. Though he deliberately made it sound like he had proposed to Sarah recently and not a month ago, everything else was pretty accurate. No one was supposed to know about any wedding plans yet. Only her immediate family and then Jeremy. Well, the entire Underground practically knew but they didn't count.

By directing the conversation away from Linda and make it about how Jareth viewed Jeremy as a father figure, that alone would condemn Linda for being insensitive towards Sarah without anyone actually saying anything to Linda herself.

"I would appreciate it if you would allow me, my future wife, and my family to enjoy privacy in a life changing moment for us." Jareth said to the news anchor.

"Of course." The news anchor walked away from Jareth's upset face.

Jareth shook his head. He loved modern technology, but when it came to things like this, he was glad that it wasn't nearly as invasive in his own realm. Hell, the Underground had enough nosy people. Imagine what would happen if they had access to cameras!

Linda paced back and forth. This was NOT going well at all. She supposed that Sarah did try to contact her.

"As you can see folks, it seems that we had been mistaken about Linda Williams."

Linda stopped pacing and sat back down.

"Linda here seems to be invading on the privacy of her own daughter. It seems that while we have no confirmation, there was no way for her to find out any information except for spying. You heard her fiancé, Jeremy heard about the proposal and wedding because of his relation to the soon-to-be-groom. Not because the daughter was trying to scorn her mother."

The news anchor went on about how other celebrities seemed to think the same about Linda, some even going so far as to call her a bully.

Oh, her daughter wasn't going to get away with this.

She had her ways. Sarah WILL come crawling back to her.

* * *

"A bird?" Jareth took another mouthful of popcorn in his mouth.

"You're making a mess!" Karen sighed at him. "Are you always this messy?"

"Funny, he's impeccably clean except for eating." Sarah used magic to send the popcorn bits into the trash.

"Hey, are you guys going to keep guessing or not?" Toby was flapping his hands in their game of charades.

"I thought talking wasn't allowed. You know that I am a stickler for rules and being fair." Jareth raised his eyebrows at Sarah and nipped her ear when she moved away.

"You guys are impossible." Robert said half heartedly. "Um, Toby are you doing a specific kind of bird?"

"Oh! An owl!" Jareth guessed.

Toby shook his head.

"A turkey?" Karen gave a shot.

"Turkeys don't fly." Sarah told her stepmother. "The goblins did try that once though."

"Don't ever, ever bring that up again." Jareth put a hand to his head as if the memory gave him an instant headache.

"It was funny." Sarah snickered. "I told them about Thanksgiving and then they thought that you'd enjoy a flying turkey."

"And you recall the hordes and hordes of turkey feathers when it landed into my chambers? That wasn't so fun, Precious." Jareth rolled his eyes.

"EAGLE!" Robert yelled. "Are you an eagle?"

Toby nodded. "You got it dad!"

_RIIIING!_

"I got it." Sarah reassured her parents. They had a long day today and she wanted to help them to relax. Plus it could be her wedding planner.

She picked the phone up. "Hello? Williams Residence."

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

Sarah moved her ear away from the phone, her lips pursed and magic flowing in her veins, trying to keep it from reacting. "Hello, Linda." She said with icy calm.

"I don't know what you're doing, but you're lying. I have proof that you and your trash fiancé and my trash of an ex are out to get me!" Linda seethed.

Sarah couldn't help it. She started to laugh hysterically. She even wiped a tear from her eye. "Out to get you? You have proof of what, exactly? That I don't want you in my life? Well go ahead, tell the press! Show them that you invaded our privacy! This is the first time you've talked to me in YEARS and you decided to call me a bitch?"

"You are my daughter, you are supposed to listen and obey me." Linda screeched. "I will cut you off my will!"

As if Sarah would care. She was about to become a queen. "A will? You have a will with all that spending you do?"

"Stop insulting me."

"Stop telling me to obey you like some stupid puppet. I am a woman of my own worth, of my own right! You chose to cut me off and burn that bridge. You can't move on with your own freaking life." Sarah had to mentally remind herself to not grip the phone so hard for her changling strength made her capable of actually breaking the thing.

"You listen to me right now young lady. I-"

"YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!" Sarah screeched. "No one has power over me unless I give it to them. And you don't have it anymore!"

She slammed the phone in the receiver. That felt GOOD. She hoped that she wouldn't cry about it later, but for now, she was going to spend time with her family. With Jareth. And prepare for her wedding.

She had bigger fish to fry tomorrow than to deal with her petty mother. Linda may have gotten the match but Sarah was the one who allowed their bridge to burn.

* * *

Something changed in Sarah when she told Linda she had no power over her. She felt more bold, more confident. She was to be the goblin queen, not someone to be intimidated.

And that included at her own engagement party.

Jareth wore the same outfit as in the peach dream, his dark blue jacket with glitter with the long tail. He wore black tights and black boots. This was at Sarah's request for no one had seen him wear this before and she found that this was her favorite formal outfit of his. He dyed his hair so the tips were blue and put on peach flavored lipgloss.

She had a dark blue dress with small gems dotted all over so she glowed like the night sky to match him. It had long sleeves and hugged her body nicely. It was low cut in the back and in the front had a generous cleavage, going all the way down to almost her naval. Just the perfect line between sexy and classy, just like how everyone would be dressed at the ball.

As queen to be, Jareth commissioned a necklace for her, one to match her dress for the night. She lifted up her long, straight hair for him to clasp on the sapphire necklace on her, resting in between her breasts.

"You look absolutely ravishing." He held her from behind. "I have a mind to just-"

"Don't even." Sarah playfully pushed him away from her. "We have some decorum to retain."

"Decorum is near impossible with you dressed like that." He licked his lips. "Maybe you dressed like that was a bad idea. All these other men are going to come and eat you up."

"Trust me, they'll do no such thing." Sarah kissed his cheek. Then she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "That's your job."

"Mmm. That is so very right." He chuckled.

"Are you sure you won't dance with anyone tonight?" Sarah laid her arm in the crook of his elbow. "It's okay if you dance you know."

"I know, but I don't want to." He said flatly. "I have no desire to dance with anyone but my soon-to-be-wife. If you want to dance with anyone else-"

"Nope." Sarah said with a smile. She also had no desire to dance with anyone but him. "I'm good."

Jareth's decision to only dance with her wasn't just so others would see how much he wanted her. It was to show that no matter what, he would not take a mistress. He loved Sarah and would treasure her forever. She would not be pushed aside for countless of women. He knew what that life was like and had no desire for it. Sarah made him fulfilled in every way possible. How could he even think about wanting anyone else but her?

Daniel stood a little from them, am in arm with Lydia who would be announcing them. "Introducing, the King of Goblins and his betrothed, The one and only Champion of the Labyrinth!"

The room erupted with applause. Some were genuinely happy. Some didn't really care. Some were just curious at the sight of any woman finally getting Jareth to settle down. And then some were outright jealous or upset at a human on a throne even if Sarah had gained permission from the other monarchs to be queen.

They mingled and talked with the different monarchs and noble families. Sarah felt a flutter of anxiety at times when another ex of Jareth's would come up, but Jareth kept his arm around her constantly, his hand resting on her hip. She was grateful for that.

Somehow, they got separated and it annoyed them greatly but it was important for Sarah to be seen independently for she was to hold the crown matrimonial. She was able to even secure some trades and political maneuvers.

One such lady was pissing Sarah off though. Her name was Lady Lena, a noblewoman from Ingrid's kingdom and an former flame of Jareth's. Sort of, she and Jareth had courted for about a week as a favor to his father but he broke it off. They had kissed once and Jareth decided that was the end of it.

Jareth had made it clear that he would never, ever allow Ingrid back into his life as a sister but was willing to get along with her through political dealings as monarchs. It would do no good for their kingdoms to not come into contact just because the monarchs hated each other. It seems now, that Ingrid had sent Lena to annoy Sarah.

Sarah, with her new vision, saw Lena trying to get Jareth to dance with her.

"Your Majesty." She crooned. "Why not a dance, for old time's sake?"

"I'm afraid that I have announced that I will dance with no one but my betrothed." Jareth said politely. "I will not make an exception for anyone."

Lena batted her long lashes and leaned forward to show cleavage, rubbing her hand up and down Jareth's arm before he snatched it away. "I don't mind doing what I can to be by your side, even if it's just a dance, Jareth…"

"Pardon me." Sarah appeared next to Jareth, a smile on her face but a deadly look on her eyes that made Jareth glad that it wasn't directed towards him. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who is this?" Sarah gave a nod towards Lena.

Jareth extended his hand out to Sarah, kissing the back of her hand and letting his lips linger on her longer than usual. She looked gorgeous with the way the dress hugged her curves and the slit on her leg made him want to just open it up to see more of it. He controlled himself, but barely.

He stood back up. "Sarah, this is Lady Lena. Lady Lena, this is my betrothed, the love of my life and my future queen, Sarah."

The way he smiled at Sarah didn't go unnoticed by not only Lena but anyone near by. It was like she was his very light, his very heart. Sarah herself momentarily forgot about Lena in the warmth of his love.

"Pleasure." Sarah curtsied to Lena. "I look forward to your acquaintance."

And look forward she did.

Jareth would have loved to stay and see what Sarah would do but her tone was clearly telling him to stay out of her way. He respected that and looked forward to hearing about it later. He bowed and made his leave.

Lena looked absolutely furious at Sarah. "So, this is the quaint little girl he picked up from the human world. Bored of immortals isn't he? Now he's moved onto humans?"

To Lena's surprise, Sarah laughed. "That's the least you can do to insult me? You call me a little girl, but who was it that beat the Labyrinth? Who was it that won the Trials and became the only human to earn the crown matrimonial, one that is rarely given even for immortals? Who was the only one who was able to fully win the king's heart just by being herself?"

Lena fought the urge to shrink back. She couldn't explain why Sarah held that air of authority. She had a glimpse of the girl at the Yule Ball a few years back and she had seemed to scared then. Now, she had confidence and grace fit for a queen. Not that Lena would tell her that.

Sarah leaned close to Lena. "If you try to touch him again, I will make sure that you will pay. Like my betrothed, I am generous but I can be cruel too. It comes with the job, one that my future subjects have accepted me to do long ago. I don't tolerate harassment on my love especially in our home. Don't defy me."

Jareth had been more outrightly cruel. Sarah had learned to be sneakier and to wait before pulling out the big guns. She would not let someone walk all over her. She had declared the king and her own other to have no power over her (well, Jareth did have some power over her now) but she was NOT going to let some girl who dated him for a short time to act like she owned the place.

And with that, she left Lena to go speak with other guests.

Jareth looked around over and over for Sarah when the music started to play a slow piece. But he couldn't find her anywhere! He felt lost, shoving a people aside as they were trying to get his attention. Some were scorning at him for taking her to be his bride but he didn't care. He wanted to find Sarah and he was going to have her in his arms, damn it.

Sarah saw her fiancé looking around for her and she grinned. This was payback for when he evaded her in the peach dream. Though it was mostly her own doing, Jareth evaded her on purpose to see her reaction back then. She moved a fan from her face and gave a toothy grin at his perplexed face as he saw her here and there as she disappeared from time to time.

To her great fury, Lena was untying part of the front of her corset and retying it so her breasts seemed to spill out more than usual. She walked over to Jareth and began to rub her hand up his back.

Sarah was so done with her shit.

She waved a hand and Lena was gone. Making a crystal, Sarah grinned and said a few words, tucking the crystal away, pleased with what happened.

Jareth was getting more and more annoyed at trying to find Sarah. Where the hell was she? He turned around and then he saw her.

Sarah was chatting with a few men. Though she wasn't dancing with them, it was clear that they were leering at her. She was, after all, remarkably beautiful and could make any man drool.

Jareth gave a look of jealously and possessiveness, a small growl in the back of his throat much like Sarah did when he did that to her in the peach dream. How dare she have that smirk on her face?

Sarah put a wineglass down and curtsied to the two gentlemen. "Excuse me, I should rejoin my betrothed."

The two men looked a little disappointed at Sarah moving from them but one look from Jareth showed them that it would better if she did.

Sarah swayed her hips for Jareth and put her arms around his neck. She felt his hands come up possessively behind her back. "I'm not sure how I care to have these other men look at you like so."

"You don't have to like it." Sarah leaned into his ear. "Why don't think of it this way, Sire? As long as they aren't touching me, they can look and be forever reminded as to who I belong to."

Jareth took a sharp breath and pulled her close to his body so he could feel ALL of her soft curves. "That, I think I can handle my Precious."

"At least none of my exes are trying to throw themselves on me." Sarah raised an eyebrow.

Jareth cringed. She did have a point. "Sarah-"

"It's not your fault, I'm not mad at you." She kissed his nose affectionately. "But I do need retribution."

"Oh? And what do you have in mind, my cruel lady?" Jareth loved it when her darker side came out. As long as it wasn't too dark.

Sarah whispered in his ear. The other couples dancing could only guess what she was whispering for Jareth's eyes flashed with the deepest passion.

Jareth took off his coat and willed his gloves away. Sarah still had the same dress on but magicked it so it was a tad shorter, showing her ankles and black high heels off. Jareth snapped his fingers, a latin song coming on.

He was going to show everyone that she was his and he was hers.

A new kind of music started and the crowed either began to dance to it or watched the king and his champion lead. Curious, they all leaned their heads in to watch.

_When marimba rhythms start to play_

_Dance with me, make me sway_

Sarah stood behind Jareth, feet shoulder width apart as she moved her hand against his chest upward. Jareth, feeling the heat of her hand through his shirt, started to cover her with his but she moved swiftly to the side right after that.

_Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore_

_Hold me close, sway me more_

She grinned at him and he slowly twirled her so she was in front of him, her back to his. Jareth supported her weight and glided his hands on her waist sensually. He twirled her so that now they were facing each other. The smell of peaches and spices from him filled her nose and she almost fainted by the distinct masculine smell that he gave off.

_Like a flower bending in the breeze_

_Bend with me, sway with ease_

_When we dance you have a way_ _with me_

_Stay with me, sway with me_

Sarah's right hand was now on Jareth's neck, her left on his arm. Their faces were so close to touching, but this dance was a kind of chase as well. She wasn't going to make it easy for him to kiss her.

Jareth felt her left hand rubbing down his arm. He spun her around, his arms always supporting her before he pulled her body close to his again, never truly touching. He moved his left hand up her waist, up her arms and held her wrist, his nose nearly touching her cheek. She was his equal, his love, his soulmate. The way she captivated him with her sweet scent and her beautiful green eyes made him want to go insane.

_Other dancers may be on the floor_

_Dear, but my eyes will see only you_

_Only you have that magic technique_

_When we sway I go weak_

Sarah struggled to breathe as she moved her hand to grasp in his. He was just so sexy, with the way he moved and never really touching her the way she wanted. She let out a moan so quiet that only he could hear it. Jareth growled with a promise. He lead her through a tango, eyes never leaving her.

_I can hear the sounds of violins_

_Long before it begins_

_Make me thrill as only you know how_

_Sway me smooth, sway me now_

_Other dancers may be on the floor_

_Dear, but my eyes will see only you_

_Only you have that magic technique_

_When we sway I go weak_

They kept going like that, facing each other then Sarah spun herself so that her back was to him again. Jareth kept his right hand on her waist and his left holding onto her hand. Sarah put her hand on his to show that she approved of this. Not looking at each other now, they could see the hungry and intrigued eyes of the party-goers, staring at the way Sarah's slit was riding up higher on her legs and Jareth's growl was starting to be audible to them. At this, he dipped her down across his knee, her long hair almost touching the floor before bringing her back up to slide his hands around her stomach and up her arms, touching the open flesh on her from where the deep cleavage was. Yes, he would let the people know EXACTLY how much he desired her.

_I can hear the sounds of violins_

_Long before it begins_

_Make me thrill as only you know how_

_Sway me smooth, sway me now_

Sarah nearly bucked her hips against him when she felt him touch the open flesh on her back and the front. She went behind him again and rubbed her hand all over his chest. She leaned over and licked the sensitive flesh behind his ear.

Jareth was starting to go mad, if he wasn't already. Then the lick behind his ear made him go even more insane. Somehow, he still kept it clean for his guests as he moved her body like the master dancer that he was.

_When marimba rhythms start to play_

_Dance with me, make me sway_

_Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore_

_Hold me close, sway me more_

_Like a flower bending in the breeze_

_Bend with me, sway with ease_

_When we dance you have a way with me_

_Stay with me, sway with me_

Sarah leaned into him on her right side, lifting one leg up to arm around his waist as he picked her up and spun her around. Their noses were touching. With hooded eyes, Jareth leaned into her ear. "Mi amor, te deseo."

_My love, I desire you._

Sarah bit her lip from a moan. As king, Jareth could just use magic to translate whatever language he needed to speak to humans. But for him, he liked to learn all the languages to have a better understanding (a lot of things get lost in translation). Jareth found that Sarah loved it when he spoke Spanish, the words rolling off his tongue and igniting the fire between them. At him dancing with her sensually and then speaking Spanish, she was going insane.

_When marimba rhythms start to play_

_Hold me close, make me sway_

_Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore_

_Hold me close, sway me more_

_Like a flower bending in the breeze_

_Bend with me, sway with ease_

_When we dance you have a way with me_

_Stay with me, sway with me_

Jareth did an impressive lift where he practically threw her over his back and maneuvered Sarah so that she would end up dipped down. He slowly lifted her up, her head thrown back in bliss.

As the song ended, the crowd had an impressed look at the dance that the couple had given them. Some even gave them applause.

As for the couple themselves, neither really cared what everyone else was thinking. Sarah was trying to gather her last few brain cells (all of them seemed to have gotten lost in the dance) and Jareth was trying to figure out the best way to leave the ball early and send them to their chambers.

He did something else.

* * *

Jareth transported them right outside, away from everyone. Both of their eyes were hungry from all that dancing.

Jareth backed Sarah up int a wall and she brought her leg up, the one with the exposed slit, and wrapped it around his waist. Jareth trailed his bare fingers down her silky inner thigh all the way to her ankle.

Their mouths crashed into each other with great devotion. Sarah ran her hands all over his chest though she made no move to go underneath his clothing. Jareth moved away from her mouth and kissed all over her neck. At one point, he took in a patch of skin and sucked on it. Hard.

Sarah moaned and Jareth gave her hot and wet open mouth kisses down her exposed breasts. He dipped his finger at the end of the line and pulled the right fabric out slightly so he could lick around her navel.

Sarah bucked her hips hard against him. Then she pushed him away.

Jareth placed both hands on either side of her head, looking predatory. "I want you."

"Not here, not now." She gasped.

"Just a quickie." He nipped at her neck where he had sucked, pleased to see a hickey forming.

Sarah used her fae strength to maneuver him so he was on the wall and she in front. Jareth grinned. "You know I prefer to be dominant but I so do love it when you make me beg for you." His eyes shone wickedly.

Sarah tried to calm herself. And Jareth. But with any indication of the way their hips were touching was telling her, he wasn't going to calm down any time soon. "Jareth, if we do this now, I won't be able to go back and face them. You're too damn tempting."

Jareth groaned. "Sarah, you drive me insane."

"So do you." She laughed. "Please, or else I'll lose my nerves and won't be able to go out of my comfort zone again."

He goblin king growled. "Fine. But tonight, you're making up for this and I'm ripping that dress off you. And I do not care if it gets ripped to pieces."

"I don't expect any less." Sarah quipped. Before she let him go though, she launched at his neck and bit him hard.

Jareth hissed in pain and pleasure. "If you think this is going to help me be in control-"

"Shut up." She told him. "You gave me a hickey. It's only fair that you get one too."

"Ah yes, all about being fair." He smirked.

"They will wonder about where we went." She said.

"Good." Jareth licked at her neck. "I want them to wonder. Let them know how much I not only love my future wife, but that I desire her beyond anything and anyone else."

Sarah felt hot and heavy but was determined to go back to the ball. "Damn it Jareth."

"I am good, aren't I?" He grinned wickedly. He pulled her close and kissed her shoulder one more time. "And you are a temptress. I want every man in there to know that you're mine and have been since the Yule Ball."

"And I want every single one of those ladies especially your shitty exes to know that you're stuck with me forever." Sarah intertwined her fingers in his.

"Forever? Precious, that's not long at all."

* * *

Everyone definitely guessed what they were doing, as is evident from the bite marks on each other their necks. Every female stayed away from flirting with Jareth now, not wanting to touch him after him touching Sarah. The men felt a similar sentiment, except now they were scared of what Jareth would do to them.

Sarah smirked. If the women knew what she did to Lena, they wouldn't be disgusted with her. They'd be scared of her cruelty.

As the last of the guests went to retire, a woman approached Sarah. She was blonde, very pretty, and with kind eyes.

Sarah was on her guard though. She knew who this woman was. She was Jareth's last girlfriend, Clarissa. One they had seen in the Trials and had been engaged to him at one point too.

Clarissa curtsied to Sarah. "My lady. I wish to make an aquaintence with you."

Sarah just gave a nod. She didn't want to send Clarissa away, that would be rude and unfair to her. But she couldn't help it. So many women were after Jareth tonight, some had even discussed offering him riches to be his mistresses. Sarah had a few approach her and tell her that if they could be his mistress, they would be loyal to her. Ha! Fat chance of that. She wasn't going to share him with anyone.

"And your name?" Sarah asked her even though she already knew. She held her hand out for Clarissa to kiss.

"Lady Clarissa." Clarissa kissed her hand. "I want to give you some advice."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. A lot of people had given her advice that night. Some good, some useless. She was skeptical but again, she was supposed to be generous as well. "What kind of advice?"

Clarissa looked a little nervous but pushed on. "You may or may not know, but the king and I, we had been involved at one point."

"And you scorned him. I do know this." Sarah bit out. She didn't need someone to remind her.

"Yes." Clarissa sighed. "He didn't deserve that."

"No, he didn't." Sarah folded her arms. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you won his heart." Clarissa said. "And everyone here who has tried to bring you down, they know it. I regret how I treated him, it was wrong. But like him, I have moved on. I do know that I have caused him pain and to be withdrawn for many years. The fact that you broke him out of that shell is remarkable. You hold power, My Lady. The way you can command the goblins and show generosity but also firmness is exactly as a queen should. And no one should be allowed to say otherwise."

Sarah was stunned. Here she was, expecting something rude out of her but Clarissa was every bit as kind as she had wanted everyone to be. Sarah felt bad now. "I'm sorry for my earlier remarks, Lady Clarissa."

"Don't be." She said. "I know how it is, I've been through it many times with many of the lords that I've courted with. I don't ask to be friends with you or His Majesty. But I do want you to know that you have an ally in me. And to know that most of these people don't think you're incompetent. Most of us are just curious and as I said, are your allies. The ones who treat you poorly, they are not good enough for you and they know it. Their inferiority complex is eating at them and it's all they can do to throw it at you."

Sarah bowed her head. "Thank you, Clarissa. I needed to hear that."

Clarissa curtsied. "I must go, but I want to say congratulations on your engagement and subsequent marriage. You will make the finest queen. Long may you reign."

—

The next morning, Sarah snuck out of their chambers at dawn, wrapping a robe around herself, dressed in her nightgown. After the ball, Jareth (as promised) took them back to their chambers and made sure both of them had plenty of hickeys all over. Sarah smirked at all the marks he made on her shoulders and decided to leave them that way for what she was about to do.

She transported herself to the Bog of Eternal Stench.

"God, I hate this place." Sarah gagged.

"My Lady!" Sir Didymus came trotting over to her. "How was the ball?"

Sarah thought about it for a bit. "It was in many ways exactly I had expected and then a little better when Jareth and I danced, I suppose. I thought I would be more nervous but I felt like I conquered it in a battle."

"No doubt, those courtiers could be a little tricky." Sir Didymus said seriously. "I did just as you asked, by the way."

"Good." Sarah stood back up. "I know you're my friend but you did me a big favor. I'll make it up to you later, maybe with some homemade biscuits. Where is she?"

Sir Didymus pointed to a ledge and Sarah thanked him.

Sarah transported the ledge and nudged Lena awake. "Hey, get up." She said in a course voice.

Lena got up, startled. Once she saw Sarah in her nightgown, she growled. "How dare you send me here to this nasty place? And take away my magic!"

"As a champion of the labyrinth, I am able to access magic here." Sarah said in a clipped voice. "Me, and the King of Goblins are the only ones who can."

Lena got up in a huff. "So what are you doing here?"

"Why, sending you back home. Aren't I generous?" Sarah smirked at her.

Lena just kept on glaring. "I will tell everyone that you sent me here!"

"Good." Sarah circled around her like a vulture. "I could have dropped you straight in and make yo stink forever, you know. But I didn't, I was kind and let you just spend the night here. You will tell them all why I sent you here. You disrespected my betrothed when you kept advancing on him after he asked you to stop. That is sexual harassment and by touching him when he didn't want it, it is sexual assault. You did it to disrespect me as well. I am going to be queen and I am good and kind. You heard about the lost boys in the caves, I can solve a national crisis and have secured political maneuvers even last night. But, I am also cruel just like my husband-to-be. It is part of our jobs after all. And I do not tolerate disrespect, as I already told you. You were a guest in my home and you scorned your hosts."

Sarah stood in front of her now. Lena started to betray a little fear at the changling in front of her. The fae's eyes got wide when she saw love marks on Sarah's shoulders and knew exactly who gave them to her.

"So, I will make you a deal." Sarah formed a crystal and held it out. "You can leave the Bog of Eternal Stench if and only if you tell the full truth as to why, how, and who made you come here when they ask. Let this be a warning to you and to anyone who tries to come against me that my will is as strong as the king's and my kingdom as great."

She held out the crystal. "Do you want it?"

Lena stared at it for a moment. But what else could she do? She couldn't just stay there forever. "Fine."

She took the crystal and disappeared.

Sarah, with a triumphant smile on her face, went back to her chambers.

* * *

When Sarah got back to her chambers, she was surprised to see Jareth not only awake but with two crystals in front of him.

"So now, you both owe me." Jareth told the two crystals. He put his hands behind his head at seeing his fiancée come in. "Hello, Sarah."

Sarah put her hands on her hips. "What's going on?"

"Hi Sarah!" Toby waved from the crystal. "I owe Jareth some Oreos."

"And I owe him five dozen cookies." Hoggle grumbled.

"By this evening. So you better get cooking." Jareth told the dwarf.

"Wait, hold on. What's going on?" Sarah climbed into bed with Jareth and looked at the crystals.

"We made a bet. Jareth won." Toby informed her.

"Stupid rat." Hoggle stuck his tongue out. "Never make a bet with the goblin king."

Jareth smirked triumphantly and tilted his chin up arrogantly. "I can't wait for the sweet taste of victory."

"Okay what was the bet?" Sarah wasn't able to hold in her curiosity any longer.

"The bet was whether you'd send someone to the bog for making you mad or not." Toby said. "I said you're too nice for that, Hoggle did too but Jareth said that you were 'becoming more cruel like the goblin queen should be' and that he bet that you'd be mad enough to throw someone in the bog."

"You didn't do exactly that." Jareth said. "But you did make Lena spend the night there, which is pretty bad."

"I only owe him pack of Oreos since you didn't actually drop her in and Hoggle owes him only five dozen cookies instead of ten."

"You three made a bet on me?" Sarah glared at all of them and then shoved Jareth. "I can't believe you!"

"I can't believe you sent someone to the bog!" Toby tried to justify himself. "Was she that bad?"

"Toby, listen." Sarah took the crystal with him inside and glared at Jareth and Hoggle, who were snickering. "I can't have some lady just acting like she owns the place and harass me and my fiancé. I gave her a chance and she kept defying me in my own home."

"Spoken like a true queen." Jareth grinned. "I'd have done much worse. I probably would have dropped someone in an oubliette, make them be chased by fireys, then make them actually go in the bog."

"Jeez, when you put it that way, you're a whole lot nicer than Jareth." Toby said. "I'm glad I'm not on his bad side."

"Oh trust me, both Sarah and I have been there. You don't wanna." Hoggle shook his head.

"Hush, Hogwash." Jareth glared at him. Then he turned back to Sarah. "I am quite proud of you, darling."

"This is crazy." Sarah shook her head and a strap of her dress started to fall. She pulled it back up hastily.

Jareth saw it and licked his lips. He turned to Toby and Hoggle. "I am busy this morning, so I will speak to you both later."

"Okay. Bye guys!" Toby waved. "Oh, and Mom wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow."

"On it." Sarah said.

"I guess I'm off to bake those cookies. See ya." Hoggle waved.

Jareth waved the crystals away and nearly slammed his mouth onto Sarah's. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, kissing his deeply and with just as much passion that she was sure that their lips would be bruised.

He lifted her up by her waist and laid her on the bed. He pulled away momentarily and kissed her face. "You are so sexy when you're cruel. So dark, just my equal but also so much more sneaky."

"That was not the first word that came to mind when you were cruel." Sarah mumbled as she intertwined her fingers in his hair.

"Then what was it?" Jareth said breathlessly. He pressed his forehead to hers.

"I definitely thought 'jerk' because you were one." She snorted.

"But sexy was one of those words, right?" He gave her a wicked grin.

Sarah flipped him over on his back and took control. "Keep talking, and I will show you how cruel I can be to you and deny what you want."

"Then by all means, I will shut up." Jareth quipped.

They didn't leave their chambers a good three hours after that.


	13. Twenty-Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last official chapter of the story, but there is more to their story that I will publish in another separate story and will put the link in the end notes once I have uploaded those stories, thank you so much for reading this far! I appreciate the reviews and take care!

Movies » Labyrinth » **Strangers 'Till Now**  
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| Author: AngelGlass |  1\. Fifteen 2\. Sixteen 3\. Seventeen 4\. Eighteen 5\. Nineteen 6\. Twenty 7\. Twenty-One 8\. Twenty-Two 9\. Tweny-Three 10\. Twenty-four 11\. Twenty-Five 12\. Twenty-Six 13\. Twenty-Seven 14\. Twenty-Eight: Fooled Heart 15\. Twenty-Nine: Valentine Evenings 16\. Thirty: A Mystery 17\. Thirty-One: Starve and Near Exhaust Me! 18\. Thirty-Two: New Dreams   
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| Rated: T - English - Romance/Friendship - Reviews: 100 - Published: 06-25-18 - Updated: 06-14-20 | id:12980571  
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**LAST OFFICIAL CHAPTER (but there will be more). The wedding chapter, the one you have all been waiting for! Thank you so much for sticking through with this story. It has been my favorite to write so far. Love you all! And as always, please leave a little contribution in the blue box (aka a review).**

* * *

Sarah was close to losing her shit.

Her grandmother, Linda's mother, had called her and warned her of breaking things off with her mother and citing the Bible verse about honoring your parents. Sarah wasn't having it and told her grandmother that she had honored Linda and that Linda hadn't given her basic human decency. Then her grandmother lectured her on not taking Jareth's last name and Sarah shook her head.

"Grandma, please. I don't want to argue about this. She is NOT invited and she invaded my privacy. She thinks she owns me!"

"She gave birth to you and took care of you!" Grandma scolded her. "Is this how you will treat her?"

"It shouldn't be considered something special for her to do that. She chose to have a baby, she better damn well give it basic needs." Sarah spat. "And I am grateful, for it could have been worse but I have reached out to her so much."

Grandma sighed. "I didn't know that you had reached out to her. Linda-"

"Probably lied to you. I have all the freaking receipts for ever package I've sent to her." Sarah said sadly. "Now do you believe me?"

"I suppose I just didn't want you to continue the cycle she started, she hurt me too and treated me like I didn't matter after she became famous." Grandma's voice was breaking in sadness and Sarah felt very tender towards her.

"I know, and you don't have to worry about her. Look, just come to my wedding. You don't have to come to the reception if it tires you out."

"Nonsense! I am seeing you dance with your husband!" She laughed. "And why aren't you changing your last name to be his?"

"I told you, I don't want to." Sarah felt exasperated. There's nothing wrong with women taking their husband's last names, but there's nothing wrong if she decides to not either. And besides, Jareth didn't really have an official last name. He was of the House of Sigourney in his current dynasty but his first name sufficed. She argued with enough people and wished that "I don't want to" would just suffice as a reason. It was her decision to make and Jareth didn't even care if she kept her last name or changed it to his.

Sensing Sarah's annoyance, Grandma gave up. "Alright sweetie. I will see you soon?"

"For sure. I love you, Grandma." Sarah said softly. She meant it.

And then, they had her bachelorette's party.

Her friends from college and high school were hell bent on her getting wasted and having strippers, but Sarah didn't really see the appeal. It was not wrong with it if everyone consented and were honest about it, but she really just didn't want to. Not only would Jareth not want her to, she would just rather do other things than get wasted and have naked/semi naked people on her. Besides, no one would measure up to Jareth.

"You seriously don't want to?" A friend asked incredulously.

"I really don't." Sarah shrugged. "I'm not single no matter how people spin it. I've been wild before and I've never had more fun being crazy and with alcohol than without any of those things."

Jareth, while he also had quite a bit of experiences in the past, also didn't want to have that kind of bachelor's party. "There is one woman I want, one specific person and it's my fiancée." He beamed at her.

All Sarah's girlfriends sighed dreamily.

So, they opted to go to Disneyland.

They went to the wildest rides and also explored Sarah's inner childhood with all the characters. But even away from Jareth, she couldn't help but pick out a little owl keychain from a Winnie the Pooh store to give him.

It wasn't all so innocent though. They got ridiculously wasted and then Sarah kept laughing and giggling or crying over every single gift she was given on her bridal shower. She loved the lingerie and set it aside for some later fun with Jareth. She cried emotional tears at seeing a cross-stitch her paternal grandmother, Robert's mother, had made to her of her and Jareth.

As for Jareth, he also wanted a bachelor's party but nothing large scale. He got a few of his friends and they decided to go Aboveground due to a dare by his friend, Theseus.

"I bet you would lose in a karaoke contest." He egged the king.

"Nonsense, people love my singing." Jareth huffed.

"Yeah, they only say that because they're scared of being bogged." Daniel mumbled.

"I HEARD THAT!" Jareth yelled. "Fine, we will see how this really goes down!"

* * *

And that was how Sarah and her girlfriends, on returning from a night out, found Jareth in their hotel room.

Drunk out of his mind.

"What on earth? How did he get here?" Anita looked over at Sarah.

Sarah could see owl feathers on him. She knew how he got here but now she was a little annoyed that she would have to make an excuse up to her friends. "I, uh, gave him the information to our hotel room."

"But we came here to California! How is he here?" Laurie threw her hands over her head.

"He works in the embassy in LA doesn't he?" Jackie peered at him. "How did he get here and so drunk?"

Sarah shook her head. "I'll ask him later. Sorry girls. I guess I have a very hungover fiancé to take care of."

They all eyed Jareth strangely. This was something NOT normal for him. While a lot of men acted like they were incapable children, they all knew that Jareth was different. He liked to take care of himself and only Sarah was able to take care of him. Her and sometimes her family. Not even Jeremy fussed over him that much.

"It's okay, we had a good night and were gonna sleep anyway." Rita said reassuringly. This was true, it was rather late and they were about to crash anyway.

"The rest of us can stay in the other room, and leave this one to you since there's one bed." Jackie offered.

Sarah blushed, still embarrassed about Jareth. "Thanks guys."

"If you need help, holler!"

Once they left, Sarah gave him a look. He was wearing grey slacks, a silk pale shirt under a leather jacket, and polished shoes all while looking very human. She gently touched his face. "Jareth?"

"I'm engaged." Jareth mumbled. "Don't touch me."

Sarah smirked with pride. Even in his drunken state, he loved her.

This was too amusing to pass up. "Who are you engaged to?"

"Sarah." He mumbled sleepily. "I love her."

"What about her do you love?" She held his hand since he had tried to swat her off for touching his hair.

"Everything." He had a dreamy smile on his face. "Her big green eyes, her hair, her smile, her laugh, the way she makes me happy. I'm a lucky man."

Sarah leaned into his ear. "Jareth, it's me. Sarah."

"Sarah." He said her name in reverence. "I love you."

When he fell asleep, Sarah conjured a crystal to see Daniel's perplexed face. "Daniel?"

"Sarah!" He exclaimed. "Is Jareth with you?"

Sarah laughed. "Yes he is. Why, may I ask, is my fiancé with me and not with you having his bachelor's party?"

"It's a long story…"

* * *

Sarah was able to use her magic to undress Jareth and put him in his pajamas. She extracted every bit of detail from Daniel last night and she was never going to let Jareth live it down.

Now it was morning and her fiancé was slowly waking up from a hangover.

"Bleh." Jareth felt a bout of dizziness then he got up. He first noticed that he was shirtless. Okay, not too odd. But he was wearing silk bottoms. His of course, but he hardly wore them to sleep since he preferred to be in the nude next to Sarah.

The second thing he noticed was that he was in what seemed to be a hotel room Aboveground. Also odd.

Then he felt something stir next to him. He jumped at seeing a woman with black hair by his side and knew instantly it was Sarah.

He breathed a huge sigh of relief. He had never been as drunk as he was last night and felt a bit of anger that his friends weren't with him. He would never be drunk enough to sleep with someone other than Sarah on purpose for he loved her with all he had. In fact, the last time he got badly drunk was New Year's Eve a few years back, the same one where he and Sarah admitted their feelings for one another.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder. "Sarah." He whispered into her ear.

Sarah stirred a bit then rolled over to smile at his face. She touched his cheek and gave him peck on the lips. "Hey you."

Jareth beamed. The way her green eyes stared at his adoringly was everything he could ever want.

Sarah slowly sat up, in her t shirt and shorts with a very amused look on her face. "So, last night…"

Jareth tilted his head in confusion.

Oh. That.

Shit.

He started to speak but she couldn't stop laughing. Sarah doubled over and giggled so hard that she started to hiccup.

"And what is so funny, Precious?" Jareth raised an eyebrow, not keen on being left in the dark.

Sarah took a bit to compose herself. When she did, she had to turn away from him or else she'd start to laugh again. "I talked to Daniel. You had a karaoke competition and got awfully drunk because Theseus won?"

"I have the superior voice, thank you very much!" Jareth huffed. "He only won because he was familiar with the song!"

"You are such a sore loser." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Am not." He pouted.

"I beat your labyrinth." She pointed out.

"Whatever." He laid back down and stuffed a pillow on his face. In a voice so quiet, he mumbled "I came to see you because I thought you would help make me feel better."

Sarah stifled another laugh. Jareth had gotten so upset at his loss that he just flew to her, using their magical connection to find where she was so she could comfort him. Unfortunately for him, he didn't realize that Sarah would find his plight just as funny as everyone else.

He still turned away from her, clearly annoyed.

Sarah laid down behind him and slung her arm over his chest. He just grunted. She rolled her eyes and kissed the back of his neck.

"You know, Jareth, to me you are the best singer of all time."

Jareth relaxed. Slowly, he turned around. "You think so?"

Sarah kissed his nose. "You're so silly. And I mean it. You have the most beautiful voice to me. I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her deeply then started to make small circles on her hips with his thumb.

Sarah shoved him away. "Hey, you crashed my bachelorette getaway. Uncool. My bridesmaids all saw you too."

Jareth groaned. "Damn it. I'm sorry, love. Anyway I can make it up to you?"

Sarah was about to say yes, but she figured that the humiliation of retelling this story over and over would be enough. "No, I think I'll just never let this go."

Jareth groaned.

* * *

_Weeks later_

Sarah woke up in her old bedroom at her parent's house. She breathed in and had the biggest smile on her face.

Today is the day.

The day she would finally marry Jareth Aboveground. To finally be able to call him her husband.

Amazing that for 13 hours, he was her obstacle, her antagonist. Then for the next six years, he was her friend. Then for the next four years after that, they were boyfriend and girlfriend. And for two years, they were engaged.

And now they were to be married.

Sarah felt strangely normal, getting up to brush her teeth and taking a shower. She felt a bit jittery but in many ways, it was like every other day.

She took a look around her childhood home. Though she had moved away years ago and then to live with Jareth after that, there was something about being married that changed this. Sure, this wedding is Above so it wasn't really anything more than a formality in terms of being technical. She wasn't even queen yet. But the ceremony would make all the difference.

Friends and family would come to see her get married. Jareth had set up a way for her Underground friends (that weren't able to disguise as humans like her 3 friends) to be able to witness the wedding as well. They would all see the vows that the couple would make to each other under the sun. They would all be dolled up and celebrate with dancing, singing, the union of two souls together and families colliding. It would be a dream.

As everyone was still asleep, Sarah took the time to walk up and down the house, feeling nostalgic. A lot of emotions were hitting her and she felt tears. Not happy or sad tears, just emotions. She was going to start a new chapter in her life. One that would be happy, but she would always be grateful for the chapter her childhood, teenhood, and adulthood had given her to prepare for this moment. Her father, brother, and stepmother would no longer be her immediate family even if they remained just as close. Jareth would be her new family as her husband. She was still who she was but now she would truly promise to share her life with Jareth.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Jareth woke up in the guest bedroom in Jeremy's house. He had the goofiest grin on his face.

Today was the day he would finally marry his soulmate.

He got up and grabbed a couple of chocolate muffins and made some coffee. He sighed dreamily.

He was going to have a wife.

Jeremy came walking into the kitchen and smiled at Jareth's grin. "Good morning, Jareth."

"It very much is so." The king beckoned Jeremy to sit. "I made some coffee."

"You have such a glow on your face." His uncle ruffled his hair. "I'm so happy for you and Sarah."

"I can't wait to see her in her dress. I love her so much." He bounced in his seat a little from the excitement.

"She will be stunning, I assure you." Jeremy said. He had seen Sarah's dress and fully approved.

Jareth took a calming bath in Jeremy's large bathtub. He contemplated about how strange everything felt. On one hand, he could hardly believe it was happening. Sarah? Finally going to be married to him? But then, it was strange that they WEREN'T married yet because they just meant so much to each other.

Years ago, he was sure he would never marry. That he would never find a woman who would fit him well and his kingdom as a queen or to hold his heart. Then when he got to be friends with Sarah, he was sure that she was too good for him. Then the Yule Ball happened, where they kissed and then New Year's Eve, confessed their love.

Yes. He was more than ready to marry her.

* * *

Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue.

Wearing "something old" represents the bride's past and Sarah found the beautiful red shoes Jareth had given her for prom. Using magic, she turned them gold. Something new symbolizes the couple's happy future, so she slipped on her new pendant that Jareth had made for her that was identical to his but smaller and more feminine looking. While she would not be his bride by the rules of the Underground, it was acceptable for him to give her a symbol of her queenship which was magicked to look like a small, crystal necklace to everyone else to not draw any questions. Her something borrowed were diamond earrings given from her grandmother, a happily married woman to rub off her good fortune on her.

For the finishing touch, Jareth gave his mother's tiara with light blue gems to her, symbolizing the something blue to represent fidelity and love.

Sarah's dress was a simple but elegant dress. It flowed out of her like gentle waves of a river. She had long sleeves that were sheer and a collar that was the same. She piled her hair up in curls and had small ringlets framing her cheeks.

Her bridesmaids all beamed at her. "Wow. You look so beautiful!"

Sarah twirled in front of the dress. Maybe before the labyrinth, she would have thought she looked like a princess. Of course, now that she was older, she would not settle for Princess.

But queen.

* * *

Sarah giggled at seeing Jareth's back to her. She hoped that he would love her dress as much as she did. His heels were digging into the grass and he was swaying back and forth in excitement.

"Can I turn around now?" He asked like a boy in a candy shop. "I want to see you!"

Sarah made sure her veil was out of the way. Though there were a couple photographers and her family was there, it felt like she and Jareth were the only two people in the world.

"Yes you can!"

He turned around and his mouth hung open in amazement. His eyebrows shot up and his cheeks reddened. The king was so stunned, he couldn't even speak for a few seconds. He turned away again with his hands on his face like a shy boy with a crush and Sarah couldn't stop giggling at the adorable sight.

He turned back to her and bit his fist in excitement. "Precious! You're so beautiful!"

Jareth caught her off guard by lifting her up by her waist. Sarah threw her head back and let out a sound of pure happiness before he lowered her in a dip to kiss her. Sarah kept her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss that matched his passion. To her, he was the stars in the sky itself.

Jareth couldn't believe it. He had trusted her to design her wedding dress and to not let him see before their wedding day because of some silly tradition. He went along with it and now he was glad he did. She looked as radiant as the sun, as soft as the moon, and more beautiful than all the flowers during spring time. And she was his.

Forever.

"Amazing to think that I've wanted a Prince Charming ever since I was young and now I have him." Sarah placed her hand on his heart. "I'm so happy."

He put one arm behind her back and one under her knee, carrying her and spinning her around gleefully. "How many times do I have to tell you?" He then lowered his voice whispered into her ear. "I am a king, and you will be my queen. Not a princess, my love."

He kissed her again. "Oh, I should whisk you away right now to my castle."

"You two are so gross." Toby pretended to gag.

"Don't even think about it." Karen wagged a finger at them. "We need to marry you two first!"

"Yeah, don't take the opportunity for this old man to walk his daughter down the isle!" Robert joined in.

"We're getting married. You'll be my wife." Jareth said in awe.

"Seems like it took forever, didn't it?" Sarah teased him.

"Not long at all." Jareth swooped down for another kiss.

* * *

Jareth stood tall and proud by the minister, who was Sarah's grandfather (Robert's father). He had on a light blue coat which would have been weird on anyone else but him. He had white pants tucked into black boots with his mother's favorite flower pinned on his jacket, his hair the normal mess and his face all painted up. Toby stood by his side as best man and little Alistair was ring bearer.

He looked into the audience and smiled at them all. Daniel, Lydia, and a few of the castle employees came to be witnesses as well and they all gave him the same encouraging look. Jareth turned to his left and grinned at Jeremy who had a guitar in his hand, ready to sing into the microphone whenever Sarah walked in.

Jeremy felt teary at seeing his nephew look so proud yet shy on the best day of his life. He wished Eleanor could see her sweet boy get married to the love of his life. He just looked so at peace, so perfect.

Jareth and Sarah chose to marry outside in the beautiful park where he had seen her play acting for the first time. It was symbolic of their love coming to a full circle and besides, the beautiful flowers this time of year certainly helped the mood too. Their party looked over the gorgeous river and Jareth though about how he was so entranced with her in that green dress and the cute flower crown.

Sarah had couple of her cousins as flower girls scattered roses down the isle. It was time.

Jeremy, being a musician and a broadway star, was the perfect man to sing as Sarah walked up. He saw his almost-stepdaughter standing radiantly with her father, her eyes set on Jareth. He strummed a few notes on the guitar and began to sing.

_Wise men say only fools rush in_

_But I can't help falling in love with you_

_Shall I stay?_

_Would it be a sin_

_If I can't help falling in love with you?_

Jareth's heart squeezed at the sight of her. Sarah in that beautiful dress. Sarah with her purple and blue bouquet. She was just perfect! Tears fell from his eyes as he thought about how relatively not too long ago, he was so lonely. How he had thought he would never love anyone this much. And here, he was going to marry her and have his happily ever after.

_Like a river flows surely to the sea_

_Darling so it goes_

_Some things are meant to be_

_Take my hand, take my whole life too_

_For I can't help falling in love with you_

Sarah had seen Jareth earlier for some pictures done. And yet, it was like seeing him for the first time. With her incredible eyesight as a changling, she saw him shed a tear and wipe it away.

She gripped a little tighter on Robert's arm and looked at her father. He patted her arm gently, feeling so proud of her and felt complete. Sarah married the best man she could possibly marry, one who loved her with all his heart. They walked forward as Jeremy finished singing the last lines of the song.

_Like a river flows surely to the sea_

_Darling so it goes_

_Some things are meant to be_

_Take my hand, take my whole life too_

_For I can't help falling in love with you_

_For I can't help falling in love with you_

Robert handed her off to Jareth and sat down with Karen, holding his wife's arm tightly. Sarah and Jareth held hands and looked into each other's eyes.

"You look beautiful." He said softly, caressing her knuckles with his thumbs.

"You too." Sarah said with everything in her.

Her grandfather began to speak, looking so fond of his granddaughter with this man. "Today, we are here to witness the binding of two lives in Holy Matrimony."

He talked about love, about cherishing each other. He talked about how there will be ups and downs in life and the trick is to get through them together. He talked about how compassion and kindness will guide their way. He talked about communication and adoration for each other will save them.

"I now ask you both to recite your vows to each other." He said. "Ladies first, dear Sarah."

Sarah straightened herself and looked into Jareth's eyes. In these wedding vows, Jareth and Sarah wanted to make them more personal as they will not be able to in their Underground wedding. Those ones were for a king and queen but here was just for husband and wife. Others were witnessing but to her, it could've been the stars and the moon to witness their love for all she cared at that moment. All that mattered was him.

"I, Sarah Lynn Williams, take you, Jareth Sigourney, to be my husband, my best friend and my one true love. You are the love of my life, my soulmate and everything I could ever want. Both of us were and are imperfect, and in that imperfection, we learned to love each other in the best ways possible. We learned to be patient, to be kind. We learned to be there for each other, even when the worst happened. From you, I learned to think outside myself and outside my own world. You are kind. You are good. You are sassy and quick witted too." At this, everyone laughed and Jareth grinned ferally. "You were and are an anchor. A support. You have a big heart and a caring personality. Before we started dating, I had the wonderful privilege of calling you my friend and in that time, I knew that whoever marries you will be the luckiest girl on earth. And now, I am proven right. I am the luckiest girl in the world and I can't wait to spend forever with you. I promise to love you with all that I have. I promise to be by your side in all things and to hold you by my heart. I promise to be faithful to you and to not just get through life with you, but get through it happily. I say this with all my heart, my Darling Jareth."

Everyone had tears in their eyes from her heartfelt speech. Jeremy put a hand to his heart, knowing how much these words would mean to his once solitary nephew and how much it meant for Sarah to say them. Sarah's immediate family felt their hearts swell at knowing how much this all really meant as they knew of their true story.

Jareth took a deep breath to try to clear the lump in his throat. Oh, she was just too good for him.

"I, Jareth Sigourney, do take you, Sarah Lynn Williams, to be my wife, my best friend and my one true love. From the day we met, I knew that you were special. I was too arrogant, too self absorbed to realize that I was pushing you away. But then you did the unexpected. You decided to be my friend. You broke me out of my solitary shell and stayed by my side. You supported me when things got difficult and didn't run away. You were strong and selfless but also knew of your own worth enough to wait until we were ready for each other. You are the embodiment of all the good things in humanity, and you taught me about redemption for yourself and for me. You are every bit my equal, Sarah. You taught me that love is a strength and not a weakness. You did not love me because you had to but because you chose to. In my flaws, you saw me for who I was and who I could become. And you made me want to be the best version of myself. Not just around you but in all aspects of my life. Sarah, you say you are the luckiest girl but the truth is, I am the luckiest man. I offered you your dreams once, my Precious Sarah, but it seems that you have given me mine. In this, I vow to not only paint you beautiful mornings of gold or spin valentine evenings but to be there for you as the world falls down."

He couldn't help himself. He brought her hands and kissed each one with the deepest reverence that he could.

Sarah squeezed his hands and touched his cheek. She could count all her blessings, and none would be more special than Jareth.

Grandpa signaled Alistair to give them the rings, which were sitting in a plushed pillow. As Sarah said the vows first, Jareth would be the one to give her the ring first. "It is now time to exchange rings."

Taking her left hand, Jareth slipped the gold band on her ring finger. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day."

Sarah took his ring and also slipped it on his left hand, giving him a small smile. "I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore."

They went back to holding each other's hands.

Grandpa cleared his throat. "Now that we have exchanged vows and rings, you may share your first kiss as husband and wife."

Jareth had been waiting for this moment. Sarah saw a flash of happiness in his eyes before he wrapped his arm around her waist and dipped her down to seal their marriage with a kiss.

Everyone applauded and hooted as Jareth lifted Sarah back up, a blush on her face.

"You really had to dip me down to show off didn't you?" She laughed into his hair.

"You know me, ever the one to show off." Jareth teased. "And besides, it's too late for you now. You're stuck with me."

"Until the end of time." Sarah said.

"Longer than that, for I can reorder it." He grinned.

Sweeping Sarah off her feet (literally), Jareth carried her bridal style back up the isle to the car where they would be heading to the reception, all while David Bowie's "Be My Wife" was playing in the background.

_Sometimes you get so lonely_

_Sometimes you get nowhere_

_I've lived all over the world_

_I've left every place_

_Please be mine_

_Share my life_

_Stay with me_

_Be my wife_

* * *

After some lunch and just hanging around for a few hours, they all went to the reception. Sarah changed into a different wedding dress, one that was rented in order to keep the other one in pristine condition as she was planning to wear it at her Underground wedding. Her new dress didn't have a long train like the other one did and only reached to the floor so she could dance easily. It was an off the shoulder, trumpet/mermaid style dress with a lace covering of little rose flowers all over it. Furthermore, the dress wasn't so much white as it was pale pink. Sarah kept on the same shoes, tiara, and necklace.

Sarah had seen the decorations before but it was nothing like how it looked now with the big lights off and the small, fairy lights on.

The reception was inside the hotel building with little stars all over a blue background to give the impression of a galaxy in the night sky. Their wedding cake was a galaxy print cake with a geode touch, making the middle look like it was part of a rock. The cake topper had two chess pieces, a king and a queen. The guests were told that this was one of the special games Jareth and Sarah would play but they had no idea what it truly represented.

Clear ornaments hung from the ceiling housed pictures of Jareth and Sarah to make it look like they were one of Jareth's crystals. Soft lights emanating from what looked like crystals were what gave the entire area look like stars and the tablecloths has blue, black, and purple decorations and all with glitter. On each table were some centerpieces that were small looking trees as paperweights for small notebooks. In each notebook, they asked the guests for well wishes for the couple and any date ideas. There were also colored pencils and pre-printed coloring pages for any children that would come by. The finishing touch was a large disco ball up top.

Each guest could sit where they pleased and there was a buffet-style food bar. There was a variety with pizza, pasta, and lasagna with some salad on the side of course (and some delicious garlic bread as requested by Jareth).

There was also a sweets bar, while for everyone, was clearly catered toward children to entertain them. There were doughnuts that could be decorated with whatever toppings they had laid out. All the children found it just as delightful as the games in the game corner which included LEGO, jenga, some card games, chess (of course there was chess), battleship, uno, and a few more that they had grabbed from a bunch of extended family members.

"This looked so much nicer than before." Sarah said in awe.

"Agreed, Love." Jareth kissed her cheek. "A bit of magic for our wedding day, you know." He winked at her and Sarah laughed. They ate a bite of food and Karen promised to save some for them later as they would be busy with guests.

The ceremony had close friends and family but the reception expanded considerably. Each guest went and sat at the tables with Jareth and Sarah going from table to table to mingle with each of them. The photographer gave them about ten minutes per table at the most so each guest did not feel slighted or abandoned and were able to take lovely pictures with the bride and groom under the cove of star-studded flowers afterwards.

Jareth felt a prick on the back of his neck. Some uninvited person was trying to enter the venue and he knew who the person was. He hadn't told Sarah he had put up a detection spell so she could fully enjoy their day.

He kissed her forehead. "I have to use the restroom. Be right back alright?"

"Don't take too long." She squeezed his hand.

Jareth gave her an encouraging smile and walked out of the reception hall. He gave one look to Lydia. Once he was out, she walked out after him to avoid Sarah's suspicion.

"What is it, Jareth?" His longtime friend asked him with the most perplexed look on her face. "What intruder is it?"

"No one the goblins and I can't handle ourselves." Jareth said tersely. "But I need you to stay here to distract Sarah and everyone else. Ask Daniel to help if need be and you can leave Alistair with Robert, Toby, or Karen if you need to."

He invited Daniel and Lydia because they were their best friends, but he also invited them for this reason.

"Yes Sire." She said.

"Enough of that, we are Above. No need for pleasantries such as that." Jareth chuckled. "I will be going. Take care of my bride."

"With all that I have." Lydia promised.

Jareth marched with his kingly gait down the hallway and saw one of the people that he had never hoped to see again.

Linda.

She obviously wanted to seek revenge on Sarah, to show the world that she was not invited to her only child's wedding and to keep herself relevant, painting herself as a scorned mother. Jareth was NOT going to stand for that!

Linda saw Jareth and put on a smile but her icy cold eyes said otherwise. "You're married now, aren't you? I can't believe that brat-"

Jareth swiped his right hand to the side, his eyes murderous. Linda instantly couldn't talk. She grabbed her throat and her eyes got huge.

There was no one else around so he didn't bother with a concealment charm. "You don't know who you're dealing with, woman!" He turned and yelled "Goblins!"

Instantly a bunch of goblins came to his side, about ten of them. He didn't pick the friendlier looking ones either but the brute, angry looking ones. The barred their teeth at Linda and the woman stepped back in great fear.

He pointed at Linda. "Send her to the oubliette near the bog!"

At this, Linda got her voice back and screeched all the way out the door. Jareth summoned a crystal and watched with satisfaction as she passed by multiple reporters (who she obviously got in order to humiliate Sarah), all while screaming about goblins.

He watched her disappear into a bush, his goblins invisible to the reporters. Satisfied, he watched a reporter tell of how Linda was going crazy. Summoning another crystal, he saw her in an oubliette near the bog where it wasn't too stinky but bad enough that it was bothersome. As the reporters filed out to tell some story about how Linda was crazy for thinking there were goblins, Jareth felt a wave of satisfaction. This would not only ruin her reputation but it would leave no question to Sarah for it showed that Linda was delusional.

He transported himself Underground to the oubliette where she stayed. For good measure, he changed to wear his black armor and glittering cape with his dangerous make up. This disgusting woman needed to know who he was and how cruel he could be.

Linda backed up in the wall as Jareth stalked towards her, every bit the angry and cruel king with no generosity in his eyes.

"Do you know who I really am?" Jareth asked, knowing full well that she did not.

Linda contemplate answering when she heard a snarl from him. "No." She said in a small voice.

"Allow to reintroduce myself, seeing as you were so rude to me and your own daughter the first and last time we had met." He gave her a mocking bow, his smile fake and his eyes gleaming with danger. "I am Jareth, King of Goblins. I am the caretaker of wished away children, guardian of the realm between the magical and non magical worlds. I have been called many things and today, I am called the husband of your daughter."

Linda gulped as Jareth leaned in much too close to her personal space.

"I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel. I don't take defiance well, not even from my own beloved. Something I had to learn to control. But you, you have given me no reason to be restrained. In fact, you provoked it years ago and have been every single damn time Sarah was hurt because of you."

He summoned his riding crop and tapped it on his leg, making Linda even more worried.

"She tries to hide it from me, but she cannot. Not fully. I have seen the tears in her eyes and the scars you put on her soul. You are a selfish, uncaring, abusive mother. I don't tolerate that well from anyone much less on the love of my life. You try my patience, Linda." He backed away from her and paced left and right, never taking his angry eyes off her.

"Sarah is my wife today and soon, she will be my queen and equal in every single way possible. You didn't just abuse your daughter. You've abused the crown. And as the sovereign, I do not take that lightly!" He smacked the side of the wall with his crop and the room shook so hard that Linda fell.

Linda looked scared still but angry as well. She hadn't spoken at all and Jareth leaned against the wall. "Speak."

"I'm sorry! Please!" She begged.

"You had YEARS to amend yourself! And you refused to be kind to the very girl you birthed and claimed to love!" He roared viscously. "You couldn't even leave her alone, oh no. You had to involve both of your exes last year and one of their families too, not to mention sic reporters on them to invade their privacy!" His voice rose to a feverish pitch now. "Mercy comes too late for those like you."

Linda whimpered but Jareth found he didn't care. "Please, just do what you want to do to me. Get this over with."

"You're a fool if you think I will." Jareth snorted. "This is what I'll do, Linda. Do you know what an oubliette is?"

She shook her head.

"It is a place one places people in to forget about them. That foul smell is from the bog of eternal stench, one that will make you stink forever no matter how much you try to clean yourself from it. Don't worry, I won't send you to the dragons or kill you. Besides the fact that I'm not that kind of king, your daughter would not be pleased. Gods know why she is so kind." He chuckled lowly. "No, what I'll do is leave you here as long as I want. You'll be given just enough food and water to survive until you've learned your lesson. You'll be given a chamber pot that will empty itself out and enough blankets to keep you warm."

With a dramatic swipe of his cape, he turned from her. "I am going to go back to my wedding. I will spend the most beautiful time with my new wife and our friends and family. Jeremy is up there supporting me and Sarah. You had the most beautiful privilege to know Sarah, to cherish her. She is a joy, a beautiful jewel and you threw your chance away. No matter. I will make up for what you lack. Robert and Karen already do." He threw in the names of Jeremy and Sarah's parents to rub salt in the wound. "Enjoy your stay."

* * *

"There you are!" Sarah grabbed his arm, seeing his triumphant smile but not knowing why he had it. "What took you so freaking long? Jeremy is about to give the speech!"

Jareth chuckled at her grabbing his arm and leading him to a small table meant for the two of them. He reordered time a little so that he would be back more or less the same time as he left but apparently he was a little off. No matter. Jeremy stood up at seeing them both seated and clinked his wine glass a few times to get everyone's attention.

Jeremy cleared his throat. "I am honored today to be a part of Jareth's and Sarah's special day. Jareth is my nephew, a sweet yet rambunctious boy at times. I remember the day when he nearly set my hair on fire as a child!"

The room laughed and Sarah looked at Jareth, raising her eyebrows to tell him that she was going to hear that story sometime.

"And now he's grown to be a wonderful young man with the purest heart." Jeremy choked. "Your mother would be proud of you today, Jareth. Proud and so very happy."

Jareth's bottom lip trembled and Sarah squeezed his hand in comfort.

"And Sarah. Oh where to start with you." He chuckled. "Always a sweet girl with a kind soul. And yet, you stood up for yourself. It's no wonder you two butted heads when you met but through your wisdom, you both became friends. Then married. You both have renewed my faith in love. To others you may be a handsome couple but to me, you're two crazy kids who fell in love. Let us all toast to the bride and groom!"

Sounds of affirmation filled the room as everyone took a sip of champagne.

Jeremy gestured to the dance floor. "I invite our loving couple to come to the dance floor and share with us their first dance as husband and wife."

Jareth stood up and held his hand towards her, bowing and kissing her hand. "My beautiful wife, will you do me the honor?"

"Of course." Sarah allowed him to gently pull her up to dance.

Like the royal couple that they were, they walked to the dance floor, not looking at anyone but each other. The beautiful disco ball and small lights shined like stars on a clear night to bless this union.

Sarah realized with a jolt that this was actually sung by Jareth himself.

"They think I've recorded it but all I did was pull this song from the peach dream." He whispered in her ear as he took her hand and lead her through a waltz.

_There's such a sad love_

_Deep in your eyes A kind of pale jewel_

_Open and closed Within your eyes_

_I'll place the sky_

_Within your eyes_

_There's such a fooled heart_

_Beating so fast_

_In search of new dreams_

_A love that will last_

_Within your heart_

_I'll place the moon_

_Within your heart_

He let go of her hands and waist to side step with her before twirling her so her back was to him, one hand coming to the front to rest on her stomach and the other holding her hand gently. He placed his lips by her ear and sang the lyrics, his hair tickling her cheek.

_As the pain sweeps through,_

_Makes no sense for you_

_Every thrill is gone_

_Wasn't too much fun at all,_

_But I'll be there for you_

_As the world falls down_

_Falling_

_Falling down_

_Falling in love_

Sarah was twirled back so she was facing him. With loving tears in her eyes, she gripped his shoulder and placed her head on it momentarily, giving him a tiny kiss on his neck. They pulled back and Jareth touched her lips with his finger, full of adoration.

_I'll paint you mornings of gold_

_I'll spin you Valentine evenings_

_Though we're strangers 'til now,_

_We're choosing the path_

_Between the stars_

_I'll leave my love_

_Between the stars_

Jareth executed the dance beautifully. He spun his new bride in circles, spinning himself and expanding their dance into a wider range. Everyone watched in silence as they danced the most beautiful dance of all. The photographers struggled to get their dance down perfectly and even the children were quiet as they couple moved gracefully.

After a few twists and turns, Jareth grabbed Sarah and hoisted her up into the air, spinning her all around. Sarah grabbed onto his shoulder and gave him the biggest smile possible.

_As the pain sweeps through,_

_Makes no sense for you_

_Every thrill is gone_

_Wasn't too much fun at all,_

_But I'll be there for you_

_Makes no sense at all_

_Makes no sense to fall_

_I'm falling_

_I'm falling in love_

Jareth gave her one more twirl before pulling her close. Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly as the last notes faded.

Everyone cheered and clapped as the newly wedded couple pulled back to touch their noses together. Sarah tucked a strand of his hair away and looked into his deep blue eyes. "I love you."

"And I love you, Precious." He kissed her again.

They then danced a few more dances, this time with everyone else joining in. Sarah and Robert had their father/daughter dance in which Robert cried his eyes out at seeing his little girl all grown up and married. As Jareth had no mother with him, he danced with Karen who told him that he was now family though in a way, he always had been.

After the dances, it was time to play some wedding games. Sarah's cousin, Elena, gave them each a small erase board with markers.

"So this is to test how well you guys know each other. Are you up to the task?" She asked the happy couple.

"I'm up for any challenge." Jareth said smugly. "How do we decide who wins?"

Elena laughed and Sarah snickered at her new husband looking excited. "Whoever gets the most right answers win! So this is how it will go. I will direct a question to one of you. You will both write down the answer and if they match, the one I directed the question to gets a point. Got it?"

"Piece of cake." Sarah winked at Jareth.

"You and cake." He rolled his eyes.

"First question is directed to Jareth. What did Sarah wear on the first date? You have 30 seconds to write out your answer."

The jeopardy theme song played and the guests laughed at them scribbling down the answer. Sarah looked at Jareth with a funny look as he was writing something quite long.

"What are your answers?" Elena handed Sarah the microphone.

"For our first real date, I wore a little black dress." She said simply. It was a lovely date at a nice French restaurant that she thought of fondly.

"Jareth?" Elena asked.

Jareth turned over his board. "She wore a little black dress that cut down to her knee, off the shoulder with a sash in the middle. She had on blue studded earrings and wore her hair down and in curls." He proudly leaned back.

Sarah gaped at him. "You remembered all THAT?"

"I had been loving you for years. Of course I'll keep that beautiful dress in the back of my mind for years to come." He said teasingly but also very sweetly.

"Now we know who's the fashionista and the one with better memory." Robert laughed.

"So do I get the point?" Jareth grinned.

"Of course you do! Jeez Sarah, where'd you pick him up? Need me a guy who actually pays attention to what I wear." Elena laughed.

"I got him from some mythical land after fighting a few dragons." She said cheekily.

"Seriously though." Her old high school friend Joshua asked.

"It's true except for the dragon part." Jareth offered.

"Next question is for Sarah. What is Jareth's favorite pet name for you?"

This was easy. They wrote it down and turned their boards over. Both wrote "Precious."

There was a collective sigh of "awww" and the newly weds shared another kiss.

"Third question for Jareth: If Sarah could only eat one food for the rest of her life what would it be?"

Sarah wrote down tacos. Who would pass up tacos as you can make so many different types of tacos? Then she smacked Jareth's arm playfully at seeing his answer.

"You seriously wrote down peaches?" She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"It was quite tasty, especially when you dreamed of me." He said lowly so no one could hear.

"That's a point off for you, Jareth." Elena kept track of the score.

"Totally worth it." He grinned.

"Sarah, would Jareth rather spend an evening in with you or a night out with you?"

That was easy. Obviously they loved going out but he definitely preferred in.

"Makes it easier to take you to my bed." He nipped at her ear.

"Hold on buddy, we have family and children here." She quipped but gave his thigh a gentle squeeze to show that she shared the sentiment.

He nuzzled at her cheek and gave her a purr.

"Jareth, what is Sarah's favorite lipgloss flavor?"

"You better answer honestly." Jareth licked his lips.

"Shut up." Sarah elbowed him.

"So rough. You know, we could just reserve that side of you for bed." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Men." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Despite what you prude humans think, it has been proven time and time again that females want some bed time just as much as men. And even if that's not true, your appetite for me certainly matches mine for you." He snaked his arm around her waist.

"At least I'm controlling myself." She poked him.

"Oh you won't be tonight. I promise you that." He winked.

"Answers?" Elena looked at them.

Sarah grudgingly turned her board over.

"Say it so everyone can hear." He said huskily. She gave him a look and he made a pouty face. "Please?"

"My favorite lipgloss flavor is peach." She said grudgingly. "You owe me, Jareth."

"If it involves us in horizontal positions then I don't mind."

"You're gross." She bumped his shoulder.

Elena tapped the table with her knuckles to get their attention. "How does Jareth like his eggs cooked?"

"Over easy." Jareth said.

"Well, that's most of the time. Except for when he has pancakes, he likes them scrambled." Sarah said confidently.

Jareth blinked. He didn't even realize it until now but she was totally right. "Oh, wow I didn't even think about that."

"Seems like your wife knows you better than you thought." Elena teased.

"He hates getting the runny yolk on his pancakes." Sarah reasoned.

"That is true." He confirmed.

The guests were having such a blast as well, learning these little quirks about them.

"Jareth, what celebrity Sarah would want with her on a deserted island?" Elena read the card as the guests wolf whistled.

"David Bowie." He wrote down without hesitation.

"You know, you and Jeremy kind of look like him." Sarah's grandma pointed out to Jareth.

"Maybe we are related! It's the singing abilities that also tie us together." Jeremy joked.

"Alright Sarah, this is important." Elena said. "What is Jareth's karaoke go-to song?"

"Wild is the Wind." Sarah said. "You love singing that song."

"Nope." Jareth turned his board around. "That's my go-to song to sing at a bar or something, but for karaoke, it's definitely Let's Dance."

"Dang it." Sarah laughed. "I guess I didn't know you that well after all."

"Next question for Jareth. What is her favorite ice-cream flavor?"

Jareth was very specific on this one. "Lavender salted caramel from Glacie's Place, the local ice cream store."

"I predict whenever we have kids, I'll get bad pregnancy cravings for those." Sarah laughed.

"Last question for Sarah. What was Jareth's first impression of you?"

"Jeez you give me such hard ones!" Sarah laughed. This was kind of hard actually. How to say it without giving away so much?

She got the answer right of course. "Jareth likes me. He thought I was cute too and that I was bright and smart, albeit a bit annoying and a tad selfish."

"You got it." Jareth laughed. "Now who won?"

"You both tied, each got four right and one wrong." Elena said.

"I wouldn't have gotten the one about your favorite food right anyway." Jareth laughed. "I would've guessed tamales!"

A little more eating and mingling, then Sarah tossed her bouquet which was caught by Jackie.

In place of the garter toss (neither wanted to do it as Jareth said he'd rather take it off when they were alone), they decided to play another game.

They set two chairs back to back and the guests all surrounded them.

"So this is how it works." Laurie said. "You both will hand over one of your shoes to the other person."

The switched shoes.

"And now, I will ask a question. You will answer by lifting either your shoe or the other person's. This isn't a win or lose game, just to see how you both view these answers. As you're back to back, you can't see each other until after we show you a recording. Got it?"

They both nodded.

"Who made the first move?"

Both immediately stuck Jareth's shoes up much to the amusement of their guests.

"Who said 'I love you' first?"

Both of them stuck Sarah's shoe in the air, Jareth a little hesitant but he realized that she was the one to indeed say the exact words first.

"Who's the better kisser?"

The crowed roared as they each lifted their own shoe up with confidence. Jareth had a cheeky smile when Toby wolf whistled at him.

"Who is the tidiest?"

No surprise to anyone who knew them, they raised Jareth's shoe. The ones who didn't know them looked confused at the fact that the man was the tidier one.

"Who is the best cook?"

Both raised Sarah's shoe. As Jareth had cooks, it was definitely Sarah though he was getting better.

"Who is most likely to deal with a spider?"

Everyone laughed as Sarah shyly raised Jareth's boot up, thinking about the time she nearly set the kitchen on fire with her magic when one was right next to her.

"Who has the worse handwriting?"

Again, Sarah's shoe was raised.

"Who is better looking?"

Instead of being meek and humble, Jareth raised his own shoe and Sarah snorted, not seeing his answer but knowing his answer just by the reaction from everyone. She grudgingly raised his shoe too. Not that she mind, she knew she was gorgeous in her own right and Jareth found no one else (besides himself) who was more beautiful than her.

"Who is more stubborn?"

Of course they raised each other's shoe and laughed.

"Grumpier in the morning?"

Sarah nearly threw his up and Jareth reluctantly raised his.

"Who takes longer to get ready?"

And of course they raised Jareth's shoe.

After that humourous game was over, there was one more dance to send them off.

The DJ called out in the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, time to have one more dance between the bride and groom. Please gather around in a circle!"

As the first notes of Everthing by Michael Bublé began to play, Jareth made a big show of making a seductive face at Sarah. He slid off his jacket and threw it at Daniel's direction, his secretary taking it automatically as rehearsed. He unbuttoned the top button of the shirt underneath as everyone said their "Oooohs" And wolf whistles, some howls, all while Sarah face palmed.

Jareth strutted to Sarah and took her in his arms, swaying back and forth. He leaned into her ear and whispered something that made her laugh.

_You're a falling star, you're a get away car_

_You're the line in the sand when I go too far_

_You're the swimming pool on an August day_

_And you're the perfect thing to say_

Everyone was clapping on beats 2 and 4, the married couple now twirling and twisting in some kind of fun trot, clear as day that they had rehearsed.

_And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute_

_Oh, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do_

_Baby, don't pretend that you don't know it's true_

_Cause you can see it when I look at you_

Sarah pulled Jareth close and put her arm around his waist and he put his around hers too, spinning around in circles and putting their hands on each other's shoulders as they paused a bit to laugh along with the guests.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_

_It's you, it's you; you make me sing_

_You're every line, you're every word, you're everything_

Jareth pulled her hands in close and kissed the back of her wrist affectionately. Sarah lifted her hand up so he could twirl and come back to her to gather her smaller body in his loving embrace, eyes bright and shining.

_You're a carousel, you're a wishing well_

_And you light me up when you ring my bell_

_You're a mystery, you're from outer space_

_You're my every minute of my everyday_

_And I can't believe, that I'm your man_

_And I get to kiss you, baby, just because I can_

_Whatever comes our way, oh, we'll see it through_

_And you know that's what our love can do_

They broke apart at one point to dance next to each other.

"Show off those dance moves girlie!" One of her aunts called.

Jareth laughed and felt Sarah grab his waist again to spin in more happy circles. They moved together with such fun and such ease that it was as if they were made for each other.

And honestly? They probably were.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_

_It's you, it's you; you make me sing_

_You're every line, you're every word, you're everything_

_So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la_

_So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la_

Sarah snuck in a kiss on his cheek and Jareth winked at the guests who all made noises of approval. He put his hands on her waist and spun her around to face him again and kissed her neck.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_

_It's you, it's you; you make me sing_

_You're every line, you're every word, you're everything_

_You're every song, and I sing along_

_Cause you're my everything_

_Yeah, yeah_

_So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la_

_So, la, la, la, la, la, la-la-la, la-la-la_

He spun her one more time, his right arm around her waist and her left hand holding onto his hand. Sarah's right hand cupped Jareth's cheek and he kissed her lips, leaning down to seal their kiss with a dip. Everyone applauded and when he brought her back up, he gave a gentlemanly now and gestured to her with his hand as she tilted her body sideways to him and curtsied.

Everyone went outside. Jareth and Sarah went to the bathroom and had some water as Karen made sure to put food in their car with "Just Married" signs all over and white ribbons on it. When they got out, Jareth draped his jacket over Sarah's shoulders to keep his new bride warm. All the family and friends stood so they made a small path between them for Jareth and Sarah when they walked out of the building and into the car. Some had sparklers and they cheered as the loving couple came out, hand in hand running towards the car.

Jareth, ever the gentleman, opened the driver's side for Sarah and slid into the passenger side (even if he could drive, Sarah was adamant on driving her own car). They waved the family and friends good bye and drove to the hotel to rest before traveling to Italy for their honeymoon tomorrow.

Getting to the hotel, Sarah collapsed on the bed. "Bleh. I'm so tired."

"Are you?" Jareth unbuttoned his shirt and laid it down on the desk, looking fantastically shirtless. "Too tired for me?"

"Never." Sarah laughed as Jareth plopped her on the bed, undoing her dress.

"I love you." He said, his face close to hers.

"I love you too, my husband." Sarah kissed him. "Make love with me."

"As my wife commands." Jareth held her close.

* * *

After getting back from their honeymoon, Jareth dealt with Linda.

Summoning his crop, he went to the oubliette and saw her glaring at him. She was fine. Not clean from the lack of showers but unharmed.

"Quite bold of you to be glaring at ME when I could've sent you to the dungeons." He barked at her, creating a crystal and maneuvering it back and forth. Linda eyed it warily and her eyes went from a glare to a more frightened look.

"My wife and I are back. I will make you a deal." He helps the crystal out to her. "You may go back home to your life as before. On the condition that you will stop hurting Sarah and anyone else. You will not use manipulation tactics on the media to hurt anyone with lies. You will leave Jeremy alone. He is my uncle and someone who genuinely cares for Sarah, I like you. As for explaining your disappearance, you should figure that out yourself. Do I make myself clear?" He seethed.

Linda gulped. "And Sarah?"

"What of her?"

"She's married. I'd like to give her congratulations-"

"You will not be allowed to speak to her unless she wants to speak to you." He said darkly. "Call her, send her a letter if you dare. But I will not bring her to you unless it is at her request. Know this: any more tears from my wife and I will make sure you are forever haunted by the memory of goblins. You will not be physically harmed but your sins will follow you forever. Are we clear?"

Jareth wasn't just being cruel, he was being realistic. Linda just wanted to cash in on the fact that Sarah was married, to make herself look like a good mother. She didn't give a damn about her daughter.

Linda gave a nod. "Yes, all clear."

Jareth tossed the crystal at her. The moment Linda caught it, she disappeared from the oubliette.

He went back to the castle and finally told Sarah about Linda. She was quiet for a long while.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked her quietly, fearing that she would think he was too cruel. "I made sure she had food, water, a toilet. No showers but she was watched over to make sure she would get any medical treatment if needed-"

"Shh." Sarah put a finger to his lips and he instantly leaned in to her touch. She smiled at that. "Oh Jareth. You did the right thing. I honestly don't know what I would've done had I seen her. I may have cried, been really angry, or, well, I don't know."

"That's why I didn't say anything. So you didn't have to decide." He held her hands. "I don't think she'll be bothering you anymore."

"No, and that's good." She sighed. "I should focus on what I've gained: you. I've lost her a long time ago. Maybe there will be a day where I take care of her one more time. But today is not the day. You were cruel but you were still humane. Thank you." She hugged him.

"Of course, Precious." He hugged her back.

It was a busy, busy month. After their honeymoon in Italy (which was just fantastic), they went back to the Underground to host the Summer Solstice celebration and after that, they opened the rest of their wedding presents and Jareth joked that none of them could've been better than the wonderful lingerie Sarah's girlfriends had gotten her during her bridal shower.

It was a big task, opening up presents and sending thank you cards. Luckily, they had a generic outline for the presents that were from family and friends that were less close. And also lucky for them, Underground tradition states that guests give their presents to the bride and groom before the wedding. This made it so they didn't have to open presents multiple times. After that wedding, they had planned to have a sort of "staycation" at the castle by the beach which also belonged to the crown but was largely unused. They were planning on changing that. The would get to sight see and tour the kingdoms at a later date to ease Sarah into being queen.

They didn't need any money for Jareth was king and Sarah was earning her own way though she would then share Jareth's wealth when she took over her job as queen. They told their family members that they really didn't want any but any money they got, they donated. Any gift cards they had, they gave it to whatever stores to give it to some random customer.

The gifts from other royals and his people were things like good luck charms or something to help with fertility. As fae had difficult time conceiving, lots of herbs were given on wedding days. Sarah frowned at first, but knowing that this was a cultural thing and that it did in fact sometimes take hundreds of years to conceive, she took no offense to it and thanked every person she could for their gift.

Even Ingrid, Jareth's sister, gave them a gift. She had never apologized but she did give them a very nice plant from her kingdom. It symbolized new beginnings as was common for weddings. Jareth said this was a mere formality as her NOT giving a gift would be considered a disgrace towards her but Sarah could see that he felt lighter than before. He would not take back disowning her for she had gone too far but they did agree to remain civil. His father did nothing and Jareth just shrugged at that. Like Sarah, he focused on the family he gained not the family he lost.

The gifts they received were mostly some lovely decorations that the now married couple argued where to put them. Sarah relented as Jareth was the one with the obviously better eye for design. The best presents were sentimental ones, as always. Robert, Karen and Toby had gotten them a new photo album with photos of them from throughout the years. Toby chose the album himself and bought it from whatever money he had earned from odd jobs.

Jeremy gave them something that made Sarah cry instant tears when she saw it.

"Love, what is it?" Jareth saw her clasp her hand over her mouth and eyes full of tears just as he was unwrapping yet another pair of earrings from some king and queen of another land.

"Jeremy's gift." Sarah held out a small box to him.

Jareth looked at it, a confused look on his face. It was a lovely rosewood box with something heavy on the inside. The king opened up the box and gasped at the gift.

"Oh Lord Muraco." He lifted up the small snow globe. In it was a small replica of him and Sarah wearing what they wore in the peach dream so long ago. There was a small handle and Jareth wound it up to hear As the World Falls Down and seeing mini Jareth and Sarah spinning inside.

"Oh my goodness, this is too sweet." Sarah held Jareth's hand. "This took some time and money I'm sure."

"It is a priceless treasure, showing our dreams in one small globe." Jareth hugged her close. "Not that it wasn't forever embedded in our memory, but I will forever show these to our children for years to come."

* * *

The day of the Underground wedding came. Today was the day Sarah would not only be his bride by the laws of the Underground, but a queen of her own right.

Waking up side by side on their wedding day was wonderful. Sarah got up and made some pancakes while Jareth laid their clothes out and any other tools to get ready. Lydia offered to help them but the couple insisted that they do it themselves.

After breakfast and a nice bath together, Jareth got out his make up bag and was applying it to Sarah's face.

"Remember prom?" Sarah said nostalgically.

"I couldn't help myself, after getting you ready and knowing how beautiful you looked, I had to share a dance with you myself." He grinned as he brushed along her neck and chest. Sarah breathed in sensually. He always did that to her whenever he put make up on her.

"You had much more self control over my touch back then." He leaned in close and licked her ear.

"Yeah you weren't shirtless back then and I didn't want you to know that I was into you." She laughed.

"You can show me how into me you are tonight as we get ready for our second honeymoon." He kissed her shoulder. "You are too tempting for me, maybe I should have let Lydia do your make up for you."

They wore the same clothing as the Aboveground wedding except Jareth had his ceremonial sword strapped to his waist. As per tradition, they would be married in the castle by the beach where they were staying at. This was to symbolize the eternity of water cycle.

Jareth helped her slip her dress on and do her hair in the same style. They put the veil on but no tiara as the coronation will be done later that day. Sarah wore her engagement ring and wedding band even though the wedding band was an Aboveground tradition. She helped slip Jareth's jacket on and the sword around his hip. She also placed his crown in his head, a circlet which looked like stars lighting up his hair.

Pausing just a minute, Jareth put his hands on her hips and his forehead on hers. Sarah automatically put her arms around his neck and pressed close, enjoying a small moment between them before she was made queen.

After a minute, they had to go. "Ready?" Jareth held his arm out to her.

"Ready." Sarah smiled at him.

Per Underground tradition, the couple would walk in from the right side of the castle together at the same time then out the left towards the direction of the water when they were done. The hall was ornate with lovely gilded walls and fresh flowers. Walking inside, there was another wall of flowers in front of sheer, white curtains. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling and unlike their star themed Aboveground wedding, they had natural sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains. Instead of normal tiles on the floor, the tiles were glass with flowers underneath them.

Sarah's parents and Toby sat up front wearing Underground garb. She tried to not snicker at her father wearing boots and a nice coat. He looked nice but so out of his element. There were some royal guests but not many as they wanted to keep this as small as possible Robert had set up a camera so that Jeremy could watch this all later as he still was not allowed to return Underground. There were also goblins present, lots of them actually and they were only there under the condition that they were to be quiet and to cheer only at the end, no messes were to be made and because Sarah was there, they listened. Jareth often joked that they liked her more than him and while not true, they did certainly listen to her more often when it came to being clean and tidy.

Sarah's three friends were even there next to her family. They all dressed in their best, washed and polished clothing. Hoggle even got new shoes for the occasion and he thought of how far Sarah had come. First she was a bratty teen and now the king and the girl tamed each other throughout the years and were about to be married.

Leading them to the middle, Jareth stood facing Sarah. Their minister was none other than Lydia who beamed at them both.

"I now ask you, King Jareth and Lady Sarah to hold each other's hands."

Jareth reached his hands to her, palms up. With a small and reassuring smile, Sarah took his.

The Lydia brought out a beautiful seashell. It was white on the outside with almost golden stripes and bright pink inside. Jareth had requested for a brand new shell as the one that had been used for royals in the past included the one his parents used. He didn't want to use the same shell for his wedding that had ties his mother to an unhappy marriage.

Lydia dipped the seashell in a bowl of blessed seawater. "King Jareth, please say your vows to your bride."

Breaking tradition a little, the king brought Sarah's hands up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I, Jareth, do bind myself to Sarah in Holy Matrimony, which is the holiest of all covenants one can make in their life. Sarah, I vow to cherish you and love you for all of eternity. My soul is yours and yours alone. I vow to rule by your side as your equal and you as mine. I strive to make you smile every day and to fill your soul with joy the best I can. This I do vow in the prescribe of all the witnesses here and to our deities: Goddess Solana and God Muraco."

Lydia couldn't stop smiling. "And you, Lady Sarah. Please say your vows to your groom."

Following Jareth's lead, Sarah brought his hands to her lips and kissed them too. "I, Sarah, do bind myself to Jareth in Holy Matrimony, which is the holiest of all covenants one can make in their life. Jareth, I vow to be a queen worthy to your kingship. I vow to reign with goodness and to work with you as my companion. But more than that, I vow to be your wife. To always be by your side and to never leave you. As your heart is mine, my heart is yours now and forever. This I do vow in the presence of all the witnesses here and to our deities: Goddess Solana and God Muraco."

Lydia poured the seawater onto their clasped hands. "With this water, we symbolize the cycle of life and of eternity. Love is eternal and ever changing like the sea. But it is also constant. The oceans are also where the Moon and the Sun greet each other at the horizon, symbolizing Muraco and Solana with their everlasting watchful eye over us and their love. May you inherit their mercy and share their love as their children."

She placed her hands on both their shoulders. "You may now kiss."

Jareth did not hesitate to scoop up Sarah in his arms and kiss her fervently as the goblins cheered the loudest.

"KINGY KISS LADY!"

"LADY GONNA BE QUEENIE!"

* * *

In the throne room of that castle, Jareth sat in his throne looking all regal. Daniel was by his side with a smaller circlet of stars in a plushed pillow. Next to it was the necklace Jareth had given her, the double horned pendant that was identical to his but smaller and more feminine looking.

Sarah knelt on a cushion in front of him as he slipped the necklace over her head. Then he stood up. "Rise."

Sarah rose as he commanded.

"Lady Sarah Lynn Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth and now bride of the King of Goblins. I have given you my symbol of my kingship around your neck as a promise that you will one day become my queen. Today is that day and this is the time. Do you vow to rule in goodness and with justice as queen in my kingdom?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Sarah bowed her head. "I vow to rule by your side with grace and justice for as long as I am privileged enough to be queen."

Jareth placed the star crown on her head and held his hand to her. Sarah took his hand and rose up to stand beside him.

Jareth didn't have to do this but he felt so compelled to. In front of all these monarchs or their ambassadors, he had to show how serious he was. He dropped to one knee and made a fist with his right hand to cross over his chest.

A symbol of the utmost loyalty to the monarch of the land.

"Long Live the Queen!" He shouted.

"Long Live the Queen!" Everyone else chanted after him.

Sarah had tears in her eyes. He didn't have to do that but he did. This was his way of showing her that she was his equal. No more, no less. That they would be doing this together.

After the ceremonies, they had to greet their guests. Sarah's family got to have a better tour of the castle as they did so. It was a necessary but tiring affair that lasted hours and hours until both danced under the moon on the balcony, able to have a moment to themselves.

"A beach wedding. Quite romantic." Sarah put a hand on his heart.

"Yes indeed. Oh Sarah," Jareth cupped her cheek. "You are everything I could ever want. I never thought it was possible to feel so much happiness."

They leaned to kiss when a goblin burst through the doors.

"WHAT NOW?!" Jareth yelled. His eyes seemed to get fiery red at his angry outburst and he stalked towards the goblin. "I WILL KICK YOU TO THE DAMN MOON! YOU HAVE SOME NERVE TO INTERRUPT-"

"Don't be kicking goblins now." Sarah eyed him. "Little Hanie, what is it dear?"

"Oh uh nothing. Me want to say me happy you queenie now." She said shyly and gave Sarah a half eaten flower.

"Why that is so sweet." Sarah patted her head. "I am honored to be your queen."

Hanie blushed.

"But I would like some alone time with the king. Could you please tell the other goblins and people to leave us alone? They may still enjoy the party but we would rather not be interrupted."

"Okay queen!" She giggled and ran away.

Jareth stood dumbstruck. No matter how many times Sarah dealt with goblins, he was always, always surprised to see how they just listened to her.

"When I try that, they think I'm joking." He mumbled.

"That's why there's both of us." She laughed and wrapped her arms around him. "You are cruel, darker, and-"

"Wonderfully sexy, yes?" He teased.

"As I was saying," Sarah turned from his grip to look out into the sea. "You have become softer but still more cruel than me. I have become more cruel but softer than you still. We balance each other so don't worry, we still need your cruel goblin kicking." She smirked at him. "And I don't want you to change too much. I did fall for a sexy, dark villain."

Jareth perked up at "sexy." He squeezed her tightly. "Well, should we consummate our marriage for the second time? Hmm?"

"I think we've done that multiple times but I'm not about to say no." Sarah waved her arm. Jareth looked around and saw that she had transported them to their chambers.

On the bed were rose petals in the shape of a heart and the room smelled so nice.

"You arranged this didn't you?" She laughed.

"I gave you mornings of gold, time to give you valentine evenings." He picked her up and gently laid her on the bed, taking off her shoes and his to climb in with her.

"Oh Sarah." He whispered her name, his hand on her stomach and his lips tracing her ear.

"My Jareth." She moaned and slid the jacket off his chest. Their lips met and they were going to-

" _I WISH THE GOBLINS WOULD COME AND TAKE YOU AWAY RIGHT NOW!_ "

"DAMN IT!" Jareth yelled. "You have got to be-"

"Wait." Sarah put a hand on his arm. "I heard that too!"

"That's because you're my queen now, and have the power to do as I do." He said sheepishly. "I am so, so sorry. You must feel just…" He was about to wave his hand to change outfits but Sarah stopped him.

"Jareth, we are together in this marriage and running the kingdom." She put her head on his. "Listen. I have helped you with wished away children. I have taken care of them and I know what it was like myself. I know what I was getting into when I married you. This is real life, Jareth. And I want that life with you. I'm taking the whole package."

"I was hoping to show you a different kind of package tonight that involves my tight pants." He half heartedly joked, but his eyes weren't in it.

"And you will, don't worry. Just as you have many times before." She laughed. "Let me do this."

"What?" He looked at her. "You don't have to Sarah, I've been doing this for years."

"Let me be the equal, the Goblin Queen I had sworn to be today." She said. "Please. Let me do this by myself and if I need help I will call."

Jareth wasn't going to argue too much. "Alright."

Plus, he couldn't wait to see what she'd do.

Sarah got off the bed and waved her pristine and white wedding dress away. While Jareth had glitter, Sarah had some purple-blue smoke covering her. The king gaped at his new queen's style.

Sarah had on an outfit similar to his. She had on black armor that fitted her form well so that she could move around easily. She had on black heeled boots all the way up to her strong thighs. Her tights were black and the armor on her had patterns similar to trees but looking sinister. Sarah also had a long sleeve black shirt underneath and leather gloves on her smooth hands. Her identical pendant to Jareth hung on her neck, glowing with silver in contrast to her black outfit and her cape flowed behind her. It was made of some strong material, not this shredding see-through glitter thing that Jareth had (while that fit him she did not think it fit her).

She did not have pointed ears like Jareth as she was a changeling but she did manipulate her eye make up so she would have silver eyeshadow with a bronze highlighter on her face. Her eyes were swept up like his menacingly and her dark hair flowed behind with dagger earrings from her ears. Her lips were painted with a deep, blood red.

She folded her arms at Jareth. "How do you like this, Your Majesty?"

Jareth gaped at her. He wasn't one to be at a loss for words, but this…

"You look amazing, Sarah." He breathed. "You look every bit the Goblin Queen that you were meant to be."

Sarah twirled around. Normally it was adorable. Here, she looked dark and seductive.

"You better come back to bed wearing that." He licked his lips.

Sarah put her hands on her hips. "Seriously?"

"My sexy, dark and cruel queen. Don't lie, I've seen you fantasize about me all those years ago." He purred. "I just say it out loud more often about how I find you alluring. You think of me just as as often."

"You're ludicrous." She laughed darkly.

"Even your laugh is dark. Mmm." He licked his lips. "You better go and see that runner or else I will devour you."

Sarah rolled her eyes but went Above. If they did not go, the goblins would just take the baby and the would be runner would not be able to learn and grow in the labyrinth. While Sarah was the only winner, the idea was that the runner would learn their mistakes which would not happen if the king and queen didn't grant them the chance to.

The Goblin Queen appeared in a room that had the most foul stench, as bad as the bog. Maybe even worse. She put a spell on herself so she would just vomit everywhere. Looking around the floor, she saw needles everywhere.

Oh no.

She stalked towards a man on the floor, glaring at her. "Who the hell are you?"

He smelled awful, of drugs and other things she was sure. He looked so filthy.

Sarah folded her arms. "You know who I am, Richard."

How she knew his name, she wasn't sure. Some kind of magic.

"Why are you here and not the king?" He demanded.

The queen raised an eyebrow. "Surely you didn't realize that the king wouldn't be able to have a queen, would you? Well, I am not here to discuss my marriage with you. I have taken your child."

"I want my son back. He's just a baby!" He growled at her.

"You wished him away, he is ours now." She said, walking towards him with the click of her boots. "You know words are powerful."

It was taking all she could to not punch this man. Through her magic, she knew that he had joint custody with his ex girlfriend the mother of the son. And instead of caring for him, be came to do drugs and put the baby in harm's way.

"Give him back!" Richard yelled.

"You wished him away." She said in an infuriating calm voice.

"I didn't mean to." He said tiredly.

"You didn't? Oh, you poor thing." She mocked.

She was a dumb teenager wishing Toby away. This man brought his son to be around DRUGS.

She formed a crystal, manipulating it as well as Jareth did. "Forget the child, Richard. I can give you your dreams."

Richard looked at the crystal. "It will?"

"Absolutely. I cannot lie about this."

Richard looked into the crystal. "I don't know-"

"Don't defy me!" The queen of goblins yelled at him. "You have interrupted me on my wedding day. I am the queen and you are at MY mercy the moment you spoke those words!"

Richard backed up a bit, not liking the energy that surrounded this strange woman. "No, I have to get him back."

"Pity." Sarah lazily pointed out. "See that? It's my castle. Your baby boy is there."

Richard found himself and Sarah looking over a hill. He was in awed at the large labyrinth before him.

"Do you still want to try?" Her voice was right next to his ear and he jumped. This woman exuded some kind of seductiveness and fear in him. He wasn't even sure if he was high right now or not.

"What's there?" He pointed at the labyrinth. "It can't just be a maze."

The queen growled and grabbed the front of his shirt into a fist. "Don't you dare call it a maze! It is alive and sentient with creatures that could lead you to your death." Now she understood why Jareth had been so angry about the "piece of cake" comment!

She let of of his shirt and pointed down. "Turn back, Richard! Turn back before it's too late." She taunted, the perfect imitation of Jareth.

Richard took another look at the maze. "Dangers untold…"

"Indeed." Sarah said. "You will have 13 hours to solve the labyrinth or your son will be ours forever. Or," She held out the crystal. "You can have your dreams. Dreams that I can make real."

Richard looked over her form. She was gorgeous with her curves highlighted with that armor of hers. The tight pants curved around her body lovingly and her face was stunning. He felt himself grow weak at wanting her, wanting to control her or to even let her control him and give him what he wanted.

He reached his hand out and touched the crystal.

Then fainted.

"Weak fool." Sarah waved her hand and returned Richard back to his place. What she and Jareth didn't say was that those dreams would only last 13 hours long. Then back to the harsh reality. Only the offer Jareth made to her at the end was something long lasting as he was offering himself to her.

Sarah transported to the castle beyond the goblin city where the babe was crying in the throne room.

"You're one of us now little one." She soothed him. "We will get you a family, don't you worry."

She left him with one of her staff members, one of a few that she and Jareth had hired to take care of babies. They each had shifts that required them to help Jareth take care of them.

"Oh! Lady, I mean Your Majesty." Yolanda curtsied.

Sarah laughed. "Yolanda please, I may be queen now but I am still Sarah."

"No no, you are the queen when we deal with official matters." She said sternly. Her eyes looked over Sarah's outfit. "And my my, you certainly look the part! I bet His Majesty is pleased."

Sarah snorted. He specifically told her to wear it to bed so he must like it.

"This is your wedding night, oh what bad timing." She took the baby from her. "What is his name?"

"Bruce, but he is so little. Probably not even a few months old." She said. After doing a bit of quick paperwork, she wrote down information about the child that she could remember and had a cup of coffee. She was going to need it considering Jareth's enthusiasm that night.

"If his adoptive parents want to change his name then they may." She said. "Just take care of him and give him anything he needs. The next couple on the waiting list are here. Give the babe a few days to adjust and check of any health concerns. If he is fine, send him to the couple on the list."

"Will do, Your Majesty." Yolanda curtsied. "And by the way, congratulations on your wedding and queenship. I look forward to serving you."

"That means a lot, thank you." Sarah said sweetly.

Realizing that she now had more powers, she enveloped herself with her arms and thought carefully. She felt her body getting smaller and smaller until she turned into a small owl. A barn owl, just like Jareth. It was an ability reserved for the goblin king and queen so that they could transverse realms and watch over people if they needed to.

She flew in the warm, night sky with air under her wings to the castle by the sea. It took her a little to get used to it but she did fine as there wasn't wind at least until she got to the ocean but she figured it out. She landed gracefully inside her chambers where the window was open and saw Jareth sleeping on a chair.

She smirked in her owl form and hopped over to the king, nuzzling against his cheek as he often did when he was an owl with her.

"Wha-" he rubbed his eyes sleepily. He smiled at seeing Sarah. "Well, it looks like you found some more of your powers, Precious."

Sarah hooted and he kissed her head, scratching her neck. He held her in his hands and marveled at how cute she was this way. "I see now why you call me adorable. You are so cute." He could tell that she was still smaller than he was when he was an owl.

Owl Sarah hopped out of his hands and onto the floor, growing large and tall in her black armor. "And now I can see why you get annoyed when I call you cute. I am supposed to be scary and cruel as the goblin queen." She walked towards him, swaying her hips.

Jareth tried to keep himself under control. He smirked at her, the chemistry between them building and the heat searing into their souls as they locked eyes as it always had. "You did well, by the way. Good thing that scum didn't run the labyrinth. If he did I would have gone to accompany you at least though I would have let you do your work as you asked."

"I appreciate it." Sarah still didn't touch him but walked around him. "At least he didn't run, gives me more time with my king."

"That is a bonus." Jareth watched her now start to trail her hand seductively across his shoulders.

"You look tired, do you want to sleep now?" She teased him.

"My goodness Sarah, in the name of Solana I am NOT passing the opportunity to get you in bed wearing that." He chuckled lowly. "You are a vision. You know, I just thought of something."

"Hmm?" Sarah looked at him.

"I am quite old, and have courted a lot of people." He started.

Sarah raised an eyebrow, not liking the reminder of that but made a gesture for him to go on.

"I have courted ladies and princesses, even queens. But something I haven't done is taken a queen to bed." He gave her a feral smile.

"Oh? Is that so?" Sarah suddenly pushed Jareth back to the wall. The King's breathing quickened especially when Sarah kissed the base of his neck. "Well, you've never had the goblin queen before. Care to see what it's like?"

"You know I do." He said lowly. "And you are MY goblin queen. You are mine."

Sarah smashed her lips to his roughly and Jareth grabbed her hips and hoisted her hip on him so her legs could wrap around his waist. Never breaking their fervent kiss, he laid her in bed and crawled over her.

He bit her shoulder. "I am your slave."

"Then get to it. Take my boots off." She commanded.

"Yes Your Majesty." He kneeled in front of her and slipped her boots off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and I don't know how true this is but according to the internet, the name Sigourney means king in French but then someone told me that it wasn't. I'm too lazy to change that last name for him so for this story, that's what his name is. Thank you so much again for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This story was first published a few years ago when I was first starting to write fanfiction, originally published on FFN (and is still there, actually). I still have to go back and fix things, but it's mostly as it was when I first published it, so please know that my writing has gotten better in later chapters lol. I originally wrote this story to be fluff, but it has grown into something so much more than that. There are 13 chapters in this original story, one for every year building to Jareth and Sarah's marriage. 
> 
> While the story does "end" at the 13th chapter, I decided to keep going with this story indefinitely and will maybe post the sequel as a new story in a series all on its own, I will see what I decide to do. That will go into their marriage and beyond. If you had followed me on FFN, I really appreciate all of your love there!


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